Taglines: They have forty-five minutes to save the world. They need forty-six.
In a high-school game of Killer (in which a student must shoot another with a squirt gun) Matt Arnold has to “shoot” classmate Jenny Herk, and decides to sneak up on her at home. By coincidence hitmen are also there to kill Arthur Herk, who has secretly embezzled money from his company.
When the fake assassination attempt crosses paths with the real one, police officers Monica and Walter are called out to the resulting disturbance. Eliot Arnold, Matt’s father, who was contacted by Matt’s friend, Andrew, immediately feels a mutual attraction to Anne Herk (Jenny’s mother), as Matt and Jenny begin to feel attracted to each other as well. The Herks’ Mexican housemaid Nina, meanwhile, falls in love with a young man named Puggy, who lives in a tree on their property, after she runs from the shootings and he saves her from the hitmen.
Realizing that he is the intended victim, Arthur visits arms dealers, for a weapon, but ends up with suitcase nuclear bomb. Escaped convicts Snake and Eddie, who were previously kicked out of a bar called the Jolly Jackal for disorderly conduct, hold up the bar and kidnap Arthur and Puggy (who is an employee there) for the suitcase, not knowing its contents.
Meanwhile, Matt tries to “kill” Jenny in a mall parking lot, but a security guard thinks that Matt’s gun is real. After the guard opens fire on them, Matt and Jenny run to the Herk house, followed by Monica and Walter, who stumble across the confusion. Eliot is called over as well.
The convicts force Arthur to return to his home, where they capture everyone and tie them up. Taking Puggy and kidnapping Jenny, they leave (with the suitcase) for the Airport. Nina, who was hiding in her room, frees everyone except for Monica and Arthur (who were handcuffed to a heavy brass etagere). Shortly after, the house is visited by two FBI agents who are tracking the bomb. They free Monica and have her lead them to the airport (leaving Arthur, as he was poisoned by a hallucinogenic toad, causing him to think that his dog is possessed by Martha Stewart).
The criminals reach the plane still holding Jenny hostage. Puggy manages to escape, but the bomb is enabled when going through security; as a condition of them being let through. They made security believe it was a garbage disposal. The FBI agents tell everyone that unless the bomb is retrieved soon, the plane must be shot down. They find Puggy who leads the group to the criminals’ plane, which Eliot sneaks onto.
Big Trouble (2002)
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Tim Allen, Rene Russo, Stanley Tucci, Tom Sizemore, Johnny Knoxville, Dennis Farina, Jack Kehler, Janeane Garofalo, Zooey Deschanel, Sofía Vergara
Screenplay by: Robert Ramsey
Production Design by: Garreth Stover
Cinematography by: Greg Gardiner
Film Editing by: Steven Weisberg
Costume Design by: Mary E. Vogt
Set Decoration by: Cindy Carr
Art Direction by: J. Mark Harrington
Music by: James Newton Howard
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, crude humor and sex-related, material.
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
Release Date: April 5, 2002
Visits: 49
