There are some movies that aren’t appreciated when they come out. Maybe they didn’t catch the public’s fancy or they were up against a movie that was better advertised. Or, in some cases, it’s dumped after events out of everyone’s control make it impossible to release at a better time. That’s the situation that the movie Big Trouble found itself in. Based on a Dave Barry book with an all-star cast, it was scheduled to be released September 21, 2011, but with an ending that involved a bomb in a plane, it was decided to push it back and then it was dumped. But this movie deserves much more. Read on to see who is in Big Trouble.

Tim Allen is Dave BarryEliot Arnold, a divorced recently fired newspaper writer who now has a advertising firm. His high-school age son Matt is playing a game where you have to shoot other players with a water pistol. His latest target is Jenny Herk (Zooey Deschanel) who lives with her mom Anna(Rene Russo) and jerk of a father Arthur(Stanley Tucci). Arthur is in trouble for embezzling from his company, but rather than the police, they call hit men Henry Desalvo (Dennis Farina) and Leonard Ferroni (Jack Kehler). Matt’s “assassination” attempt on Jenny foils Henry and Leonard’s assassination attempt on Arthur.

This leads to Arthur to buy a gun to protect himself, but through a mixup, he ends up with a suitcase nuclear weapon. Russian arms dealers and FBI agents are on the trail of the nuclear weapon while Eliot and Anna as well as Matt and Jenny start feeling sparks. Sofía Vergara and Jason Lee have some great moments as the Herk’s maid and a homeless man who she thinks is Jesus. And with Omar Epps and Heavy D as the FBI agents, Andy Richter as a drunk security guard, Janeane Garofalo and Patrick Warburten as a pair of bumbling cops and Tom Sizemore and Johnny Knoxville as a couple of inept criminals who accidentally get involved in the whole situation, the tension and the humor are racheted up until we get the nuclear weapon on a plane ending.

Overall this is a true Dave Barry story. It’s funny and exciting. It looks great, has great performances and should have been a much bigger film than it ended up being. But don’t overlook this gem. It’s a great mystery, thriller, romantic comedy with some great lines, such as:

Eliot Arnold: Do you think someone’s trying to kill your husband?
Anna Herk: God, I hope so!

Matt Arnold: How about I shoot you in the hand?
Jenny Herk: My first hand job. 

Go see this movie. Well you don’t really have to go anywhere, it’s been playing lately on cable (where I just caught it again this past weekend). But definitely see it. Highly recommended.