1/2 Liar Liar
I really hope that Jim Carrey will learn from Liar Liar that he is a better actor and a lot funnier when he is playing normal everyday people, such as in The Mask, probably Carrey's best movie. Now, I liked Ace Ventura: Pet Detective a little, but it was so stupid that it was funny. Liar Liar, on the other hand, has a lot of heart, and Carrey is funnier than ever. The Mask was funny because of the computer effects, Liar Liar is funny because of Jim Carrey himself.
I have to come to like Jim Carrey a lot because he is a very talented comedic actor, not only physically but verbally as well. Not many actors can pull this off (to name my favorite, Lucille Ball), and it is a real treat to see Carrey put to good use. The only problem that I can see with it is that the ending is a little far-fetched, albeit very funny. Plus, I don't think Carrey can act seriously because during the moments when he talked to his son, I felt he was trying to ACT. But whenever Carrey has a humorous moment in the movie, he seems to get into the character and really show us what it would be like if, for one day, you couldn't lie.
And that is the whole premise about Liar Liar. In the opening scene, a teacher asks the kids in her class to tell what their parents do for a living. Fletcher Reid's (Carrey) son, Max Reid (Justin Cooper), stands up and says that his dad is a "liar." The teacher responds, "Oh, don't you mean a lawyer?" The kids shrugs, as if to say, "What's the difference?" (Well, what is?) One day, when Fletcher promises to be at his son's birthday party, and instead gets... tied up and can't make it, Max wishes that his father can't lie for one day. And lo and behold, it comes true. Why? Well, it doesn't explain this, but it doesn't have to. The nearest explanation to it is that the son says the wish was genuine.
The son wishes this at 8:15 p.m., which cuts to a hilarious moment after Fletcher is finished... with his business with his boss. The boss asks, "Was it as good for you as it was for me?" He replies, "I've had better." The shock of surprise on his face is what makes the scene so funny. This is when the movie gets really good and terribly funny. Fletcher can't tell lies, and in fact, he is compelled to tell the truth. And it is impossible for a lawyer to survive in today's world. Several of the best sequences are shown in the trailer, but it doesn't matter because there are several parts that aren't in the trailer that are very funny.
There's really not much to say about this movie, other than that you should see it. In fact, it's nearly impossible to tell about the movie, because the whole movie is Carrey and his face. If you have seen Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, you know what Carrey can do with his face. But when you put his face into a movie with a good plot and story, then it becomes really funny.
Liar Liar is rated PG-13, but the movie can be good for all ages. I wouldn't suggest taking a 5 year old to it, but in the ages suggested (probably from 10 and up) everyone should enjoy something in this movie. There is a lot of sex-related language and profanity, but other than that, there's nothing truly offensive in this movie. To watch Carrey throw himself into a role such as this and display so much comic energy is a delight. There is no other actor alive who can do what Carrey does. And that's the truth.