Little Man

Keenen Ivory Wayans is best known for ‘Scary Movie’ and the American comedy sketch show ‘In Living Color’, which launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx. Brothers Marlon and Shawn complete the Wayans comedic dynasty – the publicity for ‘Little Man’ calls them ‘the most successful African-American filmmakers in cinema history’ (Spike Lee and John Singleton, take note).

‘Little Man’, like Wayans’ previous film, ‘White Chicks’, fails as check-your-brain-at-the-door entertainment, and for the same reason: it’s a concept, not a movie. The concept is that Marlon Wayans’ face looks really funny shrunk down and digitally attached to the body of child actor Linden Porco. Together, they’re Calvin Simms, a midget gangster on the lam who, disguised as a baby, hides himself and his loot in the household of newly-engaged Darryl (Shawn Wayans) and Vanessa (Kerry Washington). They take him in. Eventually little ‘pumpkin butt’ gets unmasked, but not before endearing himself to the couple by making out with their busty white friend, sexually harassing a busty beer-girl at a hockey game, and watching the couple have sex.

It’s adult slapstick comedy for children, apparently. Keenen Ivory Wayans loved the nine-year-old Porco because ‘Linden got every joke.’ I couldn’t shake the image of Porco wandering around without a head. Marlon Wayans achieves an occasional laugh using only his face, helped by a series of really cute baby hats. He did his scenes within the solitary confinement of a green screen stage – sad, no? JM Tyree