Rating: 
Summary: Fun, if over-the-top, comic fantasy
Review: "Big Fat Liar" offers a lively contemporary spin on the Boy Who Cried Wolf legend. Jason Shepherd is a 14-year-old inveterate liar who spends most of his time devising elaborate yarns to keep himself out of trouble with his parents and teachers. One day, through an amazing fluke, he meets up with a nefarious movie producer named Marty Wolf who steals Shepherd's story idea - a composition he wrote for his English class entitled "Big Fat Liar" - and proceeds to make a movie out of it. When Jason's parents refuse to believe their son's outlandish tale, the youngster heads out to Hollywood to confront Wolf and make him verify his story. When Wolf refuses to do this, Jason concocts an elaborate scheme to make Wolf's life a living hell until he relents and helps make things right back home.Kids will love "Big Fat Liar" for the simple reason that it works as pure adolescent fantasy wish-fulfillment on several levels. First, it shows a youngster getting the rare opportunity of turning a major studio backlot into his own personal playground (the film sometimes feels like a 90-minute commercial for Universal Studios' behind-the-scenes tour). Second, it feeds the desire we all have to watch the tables being turned on a certified rascal. And, third, like any good fantasy for children, it puts the kids in a position of power over the adult world. Jason and his pretty cohort, Kaylee, get to call the shots and pull the strings that eventually get the grownups to pay attention and listen to them. "Big Fat Liar" might actually have been a better film had it resisted the tendency to overdo so much of its comedy. In fact, the best parts of the film occur near the beginning when Jason and his adventures stay connected to the real world. Once he gets to Hollywood, the film loses a bit of its edge. The cleverness and wit of the film's opening stretches give way to overwrought plot mechanics and over-the-top slapstick. The film has a great deal of undeniable energy, but subtlety can be a virtue as well and we miss that sense of sly fun that defines the film's ambiance early on. Still, "Big Fat Liar" has more to recommend it than the average teen comedy. First of all, it stars the marvelous Frankie Muniz ("Malcolm in the Middle") who has energy and charm to spare in the role of Jason and who literally keeps the film bouncing along even when the comic setups don't always pay off as well as they should. Muniz is one child actor I will miss when he grows too old to still play these parts. Amanda Byrnes is equally likable as Jason's conspiratorial companion, Kaylee. And even though Paul Giamatti seems to be doing a Jim Carrey impersonation through large sections of the film, this fine comic actor hits heights of magnificent manic madness as the put-upon, hissable villain of the piece. The movie also has a fun time ribbing many of the elements of Hollywood culture - from the unemployed "actors" working as chauffeurs to the has-beens looking for that big career turnabout to the insipid material that often serves as the basis for big studio productions (a movie about a cop teamed up with a crime-fighting chicken is the example here). "Big Fat Liar" provides mixed blessings for the sophisticated adult audience, but youngsters should enjoy it all.
Rating:
Summary: Big FAT Liar is Okay, No Lie
Review: Frankie Muiz from FOX and Amanda Bynes from NICK and the WB will certainly be the main draw for kids to see this movie. The storyline is simple. Muniz tells lies, he gets in trouble and must turn in his paper entitled BIG FAT LIAR. However, in his rush to deliver the paper to his teacher, he crashes into producer Narty Wolf's limo, played by Paul Giamatti. Wolf reluctantly gives him a lift and the boy accidentally leaves his paper. Wolf takes it and claims it for his own, deciding to make it into a movie. The kids try to get a confession from Wolf but he refuses. Efforts to force him to do so is where the movie really gets interesting. It is an interesting film, better than I expected. There is no hint of romantic tension between the kids, they are just friends. Jason, played by Muniz, also learns a lesson against lying, particularly if he does not want to grow like the deceitful movie producer. Toward the end of the film, Wolf gets attacked by a kid in a "nut" cracking move. We are not shown the hit, but the intimation is clear that it is unfortunate pelvic humor. It is unfortunate that such stale pitfalls are still considered funny. The out takes are very revealing. Evidently the chicken (who played an actor in another movie) was originally scripted as inadvertantly eatten by the producer-- no doubt another of the stunts orchestrated by the two youths to force a confession. I suspect that it made the kids look too malicious, and it would certainly offend vegetarian members of PETA. This scene comes as part of a seduction attempt upon a well-endowed woman in the producer's trailor. It is interrupted, but he tries to get her to wear a skimpy bikini, under the guise of an audition for a beach movie. I am glad that this sordid scene is deleted, but parents should be aware that it is presented under bonus material. Excluding the deleted scenes: >No nudity or sexual situations.
>Some mean language but nothing sordid. >Comical plot violence but nothing gross. It passes as family fare.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun Family Movie
Review: I only purchased the DVD after going on the Universal Studio tour, thought it would be a good to see the stuff in the movie that I saw on the tour not really giving the movie much thought. I was actually surprised that I enjoyed the movie. Amanda Bynes should do more movies shes wasted on Nick she has so much talent. Good movie go buy it. Only one fault why is there not a widescreen version?
Rating:
Summary: A ton of fun!
Review: I took my daughter to see this in the theater and liked it so much that I was actually excited to buy the DVD for her. It is a great movie for kids and adults alike. It was funny, entertaining and exciting. Finally a movie that my daughter likes that I can actually stand watching 20 times with her.
Rating:
Summary: A very smart and good movie
Review: When I brought the movie i only brought the movie for my younger brother. But when i saw it, it was funny better then i thought. Get the movie IT IS GOOD.
Rating: 
Summary: Less than zero
Review: I would like to see this DVD but I'll wait till it hits HBO. Why should I waste my money to see half the movie. It's not the movie. Full screen is half screen and I won't pay for it. The studios better figure it out and quit this half screen only releases. Too bad, I would have purchased this movie
Rating:
Summary: Movie is Bright and Funny - DVD VERSION STINKS
Review: Just rented ( thank goodness) Big Fat Liar. It was a clever funny movie that didn't run the parents out of the room. I enjoyed it but spent the whole time being frustrated with the CRAPPY PAN AND SCAN that was my only option. I didn't want to watch this film altered to someone else's taste. I have no intention of buying this movie until it is available unaltered.
The movie was cute with visual gags for the younger ones and verbal gags for the older.
I just refuse to purchase ANY movie that is not available in a non-altered format.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Fat Liar ROCKS!!
Review: Oh My God, this movie was great! Amanda Bynes (The Amanda Show, All That) was great! Frankie (Malcom In The Middle) was great too! Remember Clueless the tv seires? The dude that played Murray is in it. It all begins when Jason Shepard(Muniz) doesn't do his paper for school. When he finally does do it, Marty Wolf takes it and makes a movie from it. When Jason finds out he want his best friend Kaylee(Bynes) to go to LA with him to get Wolf to admit that he stole the paper. When he doesn't admit it, Kaylee and Jason go to Plan B. Putting blue dye in his swimming Pool! I don't wanna give the whole movie away. I would go out and buy it before renting it. I know I did!
Rating:
Summary: Great movie...bad DVD
Review: I HATE fullscreen movies. This movie only comes in fullscreen!! Why? The movie is great. My kids love it. My wife loves it. I love it. The DVD lacks one very important thing... a widescreen version. I have already bought it not knowing this and now I am seriously considering boycotting all companies that continue this practice. Give us less frills and both (full and wide) choices on the DVD. Don't movie companies realize that people who have home theaters as well as HDTVs are the ones that buy more movies on average than others?
Rating:
Summary: Great movie!
Review: When my 6 year old daughter told me that she wanted to see this, I was little sceptical. Well, my daughter, husband and I loved it. It was absolutely hilarious! This movie is great for kids and adults alike!
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