get shorty... more or less the same thing?

The concept of a large group of characters with simultaneous/intertwining storylines, running jokes and so on is an idea that has been used a few times before. It's kind of like a genre of its own. That doesn't mean that "Get Shorty" and "Big Trouble" are basically the same movie, though. I disagree with that.

The fact that the same person directed both movies doesn't strike me as a problem. He obviously enjoys directing movies of this nature. Quentin Tarantino is also one of those directors that has a very unique style, making the movies in some ways feel the same, even though the stories are different. The fact that he uses the same actors is also not something new in the movie business. Again, Tarantino does the same. Even Sergio Leone directed those Spaghetti Western movies re-using the same actors (such as Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef).

Enjoying a specific type of stories, and re-using actors is the only thing Barry Sonnenfeld is "guilty" of when it comes to "Get Shorty" and "Big Trouble". To say he is lacking originality is wrong. The stories are completely different (especially since "Get Shorty" is the filmatization of a Elmore Leonard book, while "Big Trouble" is the filmatization of a Dave Barry book).

As for the directing, I'd say that "Big Trouble" even has a slightly crazier type of comedy than "Get Shorty". "Get Shorty" is slick and clever, and the humor is only suggested rather than being directly in your face. "Big Trouble" can be very cartoony.

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