Big Trouble

Play trailer

Big Trouble

PG-13

2002

1h 25m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

47%

Tomatometer

106 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry's best-selling first novel, Big Trouble tells the story of how a mysterious suitcase brings together, and changes, the lives of a divorced dad, an unhappy housewife, two hitmen, a pair of street thugs, two love struck teens, two FBI men and a psychedelic toad.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

With its large cast and frantic comic pacing, Big Trouble labors for slapstick-style hilarity, but it never really gains steam.

Read Critics Reviews

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 22, 2010

4/5

Sharp, funny movie for high schoolers and up.

Go to Full Review

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Nov 6, 2002

1.5/4

In this clumsy attempt to merge farce with satire, the jokes repeatedly miss the mark.

Go to Full Review

Robert K. Elder

Chicago Tribune

Jul 20, 2002

2/4

Mostly ... Sonnenfeld mishandles the broad part of the comedic formula, preferring repetition to thematic development.

Go to Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Aug 7, 2008

2/5

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Jul 23, 2007

D

Faithful to the events in Barry's novel, lifts a good deal of his witty dialogue, and recruits a proven cast of laugh-winners. Why, then, is it so resolutely unfunny?

Go to Full Review

Vanessa Sibbald

Zap2it.com

Feb 24, 2004

3.5/4

The worst thing someone could say about "Big Trouble" is that it's too much like "Get Shorty," which is one of the best reasons to go see the film

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Robert P

@Superbad 1 day ago

Big Trouble is a 2.5 star Movie!

See more

Marcus T

@MarcusT12 Oct 27, 2026

Big Trouble is a little slow getting started with all the quirky characters taking a little while to get sorted, but it gains momentum and keeps on going. The humor is on the zany side and is good for quite few belly laughs. Don't expect any great revelations and you won't be disappointed. Great cast that is well utilized.

See more

Guy C

@RT84656352 Oct 5, 2026

A very underrated comedy that has a great ensemble cast. I normally don't care for Tim Allen, but he is great in this

See more

Les N

@Vegas628 Mar 14, 2026

How did I miss this one?

See more

Darryl W.

@BlackFedoraTheatre Mar 8, 2026

Big fan of Big Trouble! Great writing and wonderful comic performances. Love that in a way it’s a buddy movie but for multiple pairs of characters. Own this movie and return to it when I need some cheer.

See more

Jared W.

@Jdub666 Dec 20, 2025

Criminally underrated. Would have been far more popular if it hadn't come out just after September 11th.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Barry Sonnenfeld

Director

Tim Allen

Eliot Arnold

Rene Russo

Anna Herk

Stanley Tucci

Arthur Herk

Tom Sizemore

Snake

Johnny Knoxville

Eddie

The Crew

21%

34%

The Crew

Watchlist

Krippendorf's Tribe

17%

24%

Krippendorf's Tribe

Watchlist

Wild Hogs

14%

61%

Wild Hogs

Watchlist

The Waterboy

34%

71%

The Waterboy

Watchlist

Swing Vote

38%

42%

Swing Vote

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry's best-selling first novel, Big Trouble tells the story of how a mysterious suitcase brings together, and changes, the lives of a divorced dad, an unhappy housewife, two hitmen, a pair of street thugs, two love struck teens, two FBI men and a psychedelic toad.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Producer: Barry Sonnenfeld, Barry Josephson, Tom Jacobson
Screenwriter: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, Dave Barry
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: Sonnenfeld Josephson Worldwide Ent., Touchstone Pictures, Sundale Productions Inc., Jacobson Company
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Crude Humor|Sex-Related Material)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.3M
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings