Martin Lawrence has gone mainstream. And who can blame him, that's where the bucks are, right? Note that I didn't say he sold out. There's a difference. Sellout connotes buffoonery, while mainstream is simply not niche. Whereas his TV show, 'Martin' and his fall-out-funny stand-up films, 'You So Crazy' and 'Runteldat,' are indeed insidery, Lawrence's more recent movies tend to be more family-oriented. This is, of course, a formula that has worked well for actors like Eddie Murphy and even Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Released five years after the original, the PG-13 rated 'Big Momma's House 2' has something for everyone -- and if everyone enjoys predictable plot lines and vernacular that will make you yawn because you've heard it all before, all the better. There's something very 'Beverly Hills Cop 2' about 'Big Momma's House 2' -- "mainstream" sidekicks, lots of action, thumping music and neat, obvious endings. Which is not to say there aren't some shining moments in the film.

For one, Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) once again dons a wig and fat suit to go deep undercover as Big Momma, the sassy, take-no-nonsense grandmamma that will hurt your feelings and whip your butt if you rub her the wrong way. Big Momma has plenty of fashion moments in this one; the sheer ridiculousness of Big Momma's Bo Derek look on the beach alone will make you guffaw. For another, there are some one-liners in the movie that are classic Lawrence, his delivery and on-point nuances of an older black woman as funny as the words themselves. ("We're working on the talking thing," Big Momma says of the two-year-old she's babysitting. "Say 'Tupac.'")

'Big Momma' is in the tradition of Flip Wilson's Geraldine, Lawrence's own Shanaynay and Tyler Perry's Madea. This is what Martin Lawrence has to say about the comedic tradition of drag: "If it's funny, it's funny" he reasons. "They're real. A lot of people can relate. Big Momma, you can relate to her because everybody has a big momma who's not afraid to tell you right from wrong and keep you on the right track. There's humor there."

Because both co-star Nia Long and Lawrence are now parents, the two speak candidly about how this has affected their careers and choices in movie projects.

"I just try to work out the logistics so I'm not gone for a long period of time," explains Long, who plays the very pregnant wife of Malcolm in the film, Sherry. "And I take [my son] with me if I am traveling. But even with getting a tutor, the good thing is that my mom is a teacher so she travels with us. It really is a perfect situation."

Long, who says for upcoming projects, she wants to be moved and break outside of the "wife or girlfriend" roles, is currently producing a video for Gospel diva Yolanda Adams.

Lawrence, who says he wants to follow 'Big Momma 2' up with "something good," reveals that his next movie will be an animated feature with Ashton Kutcher called 'Open Season.' "Being a parent makes you aware that I don't want to do all movies that are rated R, I want to be able to do some PG rated movies," he says.

Part sass, part satire, part mammy-with-a-twist, 'Big Momma's House 2' holds no surprises. Some moments were so cliched, like the one with the smarmy fat kid hacker, I just wanted to say, why? Yet, in this era of real life unpredictability and real world scares, the warm predictability of Big Momma is as inviting as Big Momma's bosom. Like she says, "Big Momma got your back." Good to know.