Rating: 
Summary: Funny, but not much of a step forward from "BAPs."
Review: Queen Latifah's very funny as Charlene, the sure-of-herself convict who romances a straight-laced lawyer named Peter over the Internet in an attempt to get him to work on her case. When she arrives on his doorstep, he's expecting a trim, blonde and white female lawyer ... but what he gets is an all-up-in-here girlfriend with a serious need to get her hair done.Invading his life, Peter, played by Steve Martin, loosens up. And his friend, played by Eugene Levy, falls in love with Latifah's "cocoa goddess," but those jokes go from funny to predictable a bit quickly. Some reviewers said Latifah portrayed a sort of magic black person, like Will Smith in "Bagger Vance," who teaches the white people how to live. They've also said the movie concentrates too much on stereotypes. Those claims aren't entirely untrue, but the movie is not very serious and very funny, from time to time.
Rating:
Summary: Comedy On the Lam In Bringing Down The House
Review: First of all I'd like to say that this movie is not all bad. Steve Martin and Queen Latifah are such great talents that they can rescue the crassest drivel, which is pretty much what this is. The situations are so forced and trite, I was suprised someone didnt come out with the old cream pie in the kisser gag. Both of these stars deserve a better vehicle than this to show off their comedic gifts.
Queen Latifah plays the smart and sassy Charlene, who escapes from prison and is bent on getting Steve Martin's character to help her prove her innocence. From the time they meet she basically takes over his house and his life. If the script had been better, then this most implausable of plots would have worked. Remember Risky Business? The acting, screenplay, and soundtrack were so great you didnt have time to sit there and think "this is too far fetched" and "no way is this happening". You were just carried along by the sheer brilliance of all the elements. But from the first few moments of Bringing Down the House I was plagued with the annoying feeling that the whole scenario was just too contrived. Especially the scene where Martins wealthy hieress client invites herself to dinner and bursts out in a "old Nee-gro spiritual" about massah sellin some poor soul up the river. This while Queen Latifah stands behind her in a maids uniform,knife in hand,trying not to gut her at the dinner table. Its so unfunny, I feel embarassed for the whole cast.
In conclusion, I must say that the film has its moments. The friendship that developes between Queen Latifah and Steve Martins characters is truly heart warming. And the romantic ending is really sweet. Go see it for that, but it's really not that great a comedy. Well, except for the dog. He's a natural.
Rating: 
Summary: Steve Martin and Queen Latifah Really 'Bring It'
Review: In the new comedy "Bringing Down the House," Steve Martin plays an uptight father whose life is changed when his mystery e-mail date turns out to be an ex-convict. Steve Martin and Queen Latifah work well together, and the humor doesn't stop. It's a pretty sweet story about being yourself, and it was an enjoyable experience. The entire audience was laughing, and excluding the critics, the movie is a likeable crowd-pleaser that I believe is worth seeing.
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Summary: Attention Steve Martin fans!
Review: Check this out to see the laugh-out-loud Steve Martin we all love. Peter Sanderson (Martin) is a straitlaced tax attorney and divorced father of two. In search of romance, he arranges a rendezvous with an alleged Ivy League female attorney he met in a legal chat room online. His dream-date turns out to be none other than Charlene Morton played by Queen Latifah (who also shined in Chicago). Charlene has a criminal record and claims she's being framed for armed robbery. She disrupts Peter's life until he agrees to help her clear her name. While he helps Charlene, she ends up helping Peter get to know his children better and just loosen up already! The always hysterical Eugene Levy plays Peter's friend/colleague Howie Rosenthal. Jean Smart, who I always like, plays Peter's ex-wife Kate. But the two unexpected scene-stealers were veteran actresses Joan Plowright and Betty White. Plowright plays Mrs. Arnes, a stuffy heiress that Peter is trying to land as a client. The always-proper lady loosens up herself at the end. Betty White plays Peter's nosey neighbor who's also the sister of one of his colleagues at the firm. Naturally, he wants to keep his nose clean around her. White throws out a few shockingly funny lines that sends the entire audience into hysterics. Overall, this is just a fun film. The chemistry between the new team of Martin and Latifah was great. You WILL laugh out loud, trust me.
Rating: 
Summary: A turkey from Martin & Latifah
Review: Steve Martin has made some really good movies -- Parenthood, Father of the Bride, etc. I don't think I've ever seen a worse Martin flick than Bringing Down The House. Nearly all the jokes fall completely flat. This is one of those movies where you've seen just about every punchline already if you've seen the trailer, and then they're not funny in the movie. Many of the things that are supposed to be funny are not just UNfunny, they're even offensive. Two examples of that are when the two ladies are fighting (that's also where one of the "funny" lines can be seen coming from about 100 miles away), and when Martin forced Latifah to wear a maid's outfit at a dinner at his house. There is a lot of bigotry in this movie that was supposed to be funny. It wasn't. The worst..., a neighbor played by Betty White, never gets any kind comeuppance at all. The character is just allowed to spout racist lines without anything ever happening to her. The only reason I'm not giving this flick one star is because of the relationship between Eugene Levy's character and Latifah's. That's the one thing that worked. Otherwise, run far away from this bad movie!
Rating: 
Summary: horrible movie... worst Steve Martin show
Review: no plot line whatsoever, not a funny movie. This is definitely Steve Martin's worst. The whole theater was laughing, but I did not find the movie funny at all. Don't waste your time.
Rating: 
Summary: a laugh riot
Review: This movie is much better than I expected. The whole theatre was in stiches. I am sure you know what is about from the trailers. The best parts are the fight scene between Latifah and the ex sister in law of the Steve Martin character. Betty White is hilarious as a bigoted neighbor. Just go and see it and expect to laugh throughout the whole movie.
Rating:
Summary: great comedy
Review: Bringing Down The House
10 1/2 Of 10
I Really Liked This Movie Allot. I Thought It Was Hilarious. It Starts Off With A Instant Messaging Scene Between Charlene ( Queen Latifah ) And Peter ( Steve Martin ).Peter Sets Up A Date With Her And Realizes She Isn't The Person He Thought She Was.He Think's She's A Lawyer But She's An Ex Con Who Wants To Be Expunged. In The Next Few Minutes She Throws A Pool Party , Peter's Assistant Howie ( Eugene Levy ) Falls For Her , And She Becomes His Nanny. He Later Finds Out Her Ex Boyfriend Widow Was The One That Actually Committed The Crime. She Gets Him Back Together With His Ex Wife ( Jean Smart ) , And Falls For Eugene Levy's Charector. It Wasn't Some Mushy Romantic Comedy Either. It Actually Reminded Me Of Mrs. Doubtfire Without Robin Williams But A Hott Actress As The Nanny.
Rating:
Summary: Gee, photographs can be misleading, can't they?
Review: In "Bringing Down The House", Steve Martin finds that the contents contained in a certain picture aren't exactly all that he bargained for - that is, if he only looks at the surface. Soon, that significant someone he thinks is the ideal mate shows up at his doorstep one evening, when all of a sudden...BIG BAM BOOM!...that "ideal" mate turns out to be...AN EX-CONVICT! Queen Latifah portrays an uppity street-smart "urbanite", whom Martin cannot seem to shake. But, when this big-time attorney learns of his "partner"'s plight concerning a crime upon which she was framed for armed robbery, Martin sets out to prove her innocence, which brings some rather surprisingly and hilariously mixed results. In comparing the dramatic and comedic quotient(s) of this movie, it would appear that the dramatic benefits of "...House" outweigh the comedic benefits, in that (a) when you pair two likeable celebrities (who are talented in their respective genres), good results are bound to take shape, as both Martin and Latifah play off each other quite well without upstaging one another in the process (plus, including the fact that rappers make excellent actors [Will Smith is a prime example]), and (b) as for the display of comedy presented here, there are moments of grandeur, but work in spots only if you're familiar with urban street lingo. On a scale of one to ten, as for the comedy portion of "BDTH", I am quick to rate it an aspiring six. But, what the hay, it earns a respectable strong seven, as seven's a lucky number. The film's dramatic display of acting comprising its two stars (not to mention a strong supporting role from the talented Eugene Levy), earns a tumultuous ten, which earns its stripes. If Martin Short was added to the cast, that would have raised this film's comedic quotient dramatically (which would have earned an eight or a nine easily). But, when taken on its own merits, "Bringing Down The House" contains elements that will appeal to kids and adults from eight to eighty. Worth an occasional view (or two), in my humble opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Boy, did I need this movie!
Review: With half the country in a freezer and war looming, I needed a movie that was pure escape,[...] There was good writing in this movie. I loved the sight gags in this movie. Steve Martin is the king of the sight gag ever since Saturday Night Live, and it's nice to see him fall back into that kind of role, which really, IMHO, put him on the map back in the 70's. Queen Latifah has got it going on! It's the first time I've ever seen her in a pure comedic role outside of her hit TV sitcom from a few years ago..I'm really enjoying seeing her growth as an actor. She can be somewhat serious, as in those earlier movies where she was in serious danger of typecasting, she can actually sing, as was shown in Chicago (we all know she can rap...that's NOT the same thing in my book). In Bringing Down the House she shows comedic talent that strays from buffoonery, thank you Jesus, the way Eddie Murphy ended up. And her fight scene was the highlight of the movie, in my opinion! The racism and homophobia issues add to the hilarity, believe it or not, because it makes even more clear how pathetic the characters who engage in it are. And it points up two things, similar to what was brought up after the objections to the Barbershop movie. One, racism and homophobia don't cease to exist simply because the screenwriter may not include it. Two, since it does exist, alive and well, in fact, why not make the people who engage in it look stupid to make a point? I'm sure we've all dealt with the busybody neighbor, or have had to kiss someone's backside for our jobs at one point or another. I believe it's a non-issue. It's interesting to think of dignified veteran actress Joan Plowright, the wife of Sir Lawrence Olivier, taking a role in which she would be subjected to ridicule, but she's really very, very funny! And Eugene Levy absolutely took the cake...you've got to see him to believe it. I have to mention the music...I absolutely LOVED how Lalo Schifrin made the movie seem like the old romantic comedies of the 60's. Pay attention to the opening theme, and it's almost like watching a fresh version of "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I think it's an interesting contrast to the ending credit song by Chaka Khan, which was one of my favorites years ago! I don't think a lot of what's depicted in the movie is appropriate for younger teenagers, though. If you take care of someone who is sensitive to violence, you might beware of the climax which involves a gun and its use on a major character. I loved this movie and recommend it highly to enlightened adults. I had some real belly laughs at a time when I really needed one.
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