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Video | Review by Dan Taylor
Back
in 1974, Angie Dickinson starred in the
Roger Corman-produced BIG BAD MAMA; the
tale of a 1930s Texas woman who takes up
a life of crime with her two daughters.
Also starring was William Shatner as Angie's
love interest.
Now, Angie and Roger are back
together again, in the Jim Wynorski-directed
BIG BAD MAMA 2, an okay diversion that doesn't
rank with Jimbo's best (THE
LOST EMPIRE), but is no worse than his
CHOPPING MALL. Wynorski is a good example
of the high-visibility exploitation director
of the 80s...much like another ER favorite
son, Fred Olen Ray. Both know just what
their audiences want (violence, nudity,
limited characterization, outlandish plots,
etc.) and they are more than willing to
deliver it in spades.
BIG BAD MAMA 2 is structured
just like its predecessor. Angie (still
looking pretty fit for a woman her age)
plays Mrs. McClatchie, a woman whose husband
was killed by police when he refused to
give up their home to slimy robber-baron
Morgan Crawford (played way over the top
by Bruce Glover, one of the assassins from
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER). So, Angie and her
daughters Polly (Julie McCullough) and Billie
Jean (Danielle Brisebois of the old tv show
'Archie Bunker's Place') take to the road
pursuing a life of crime, all with the idea
of ruining Crawford's campaign for Governor
of Texas.
The thankless job of Angie's
love interest is given to good ol' Bob Culp,
here playing Darryl Pearson – a newspaper
reporter from Philadelphia. He follows the
trio around using their exploits to further
his career back home. Also along for the
ride is Jeff Yagher as Jordan Crawford,
son of the candidate. He, of course, falls
in love with one of the daughters and joins
the troupe.
While the film is certainly
endearing in its own peculiar way, there
really isn't much to it. The acting is marginal,
with Angie and the girls attempting their
"best" Southern drawl; the final
gun battle borders on inept, as "handpicked
members of the state militia" can't
shoot three women who are obviously in the
clear several times; and the two crowd fight
sequences are so unconvincing that I actually
winced in pain. However, the film is interesting
to see just how Miss Brisebois has "grown
up" since her early days on prime-time
tv.
BIG BAD MAMA 2 simply
ranks as an entertaining, but mediocre diversion
if nothing better is around. In other words,
you've seen this all before. Blink and you'll
miss Kelly Maroney's brief performance as
Willie McClatchie, Angie's great granddaughter.
Maroney earlier slinked her chunky form
around Wynorski's CHOPPING MALL.
