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'Little Man': For those who like it rude, crude

There doesn't seem to be a body part "Little Man" won't joke about.

In a lesser mold of the over-the-top and humorously offensive Farrelly brothers ("Dumb & Dumber," "There's Something About Mary"), again come the Wayans brothers (Keenen Ivory as director and Shawn and Marlon as actors) and their latest bit of bad taste.

Sony Pictures 'Little Man' C+ The verdict: A broad comedy that's sometimes funny, frequently shocking. Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans Starring: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington, Tracy Morgan Run time: 80 minutes Release date: July 14, 2006 Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual humor throughout, language and brief drug references. See showtimes Keep away! The Palm Beach Post Flick Chick lists five more movies to avoid. On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'Little Man'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

"Little Man" is big on penis and Viagra jokes, short bits involving voluptuous breasts, slaps to the head, body slams on little kids, and hits to the crotch. Plus, it has an important sequence relying solely on the proper use of a rectal thermometer. And let's not forget the canine that lifts its leg on our title character. How could we?

Marlon Wayans plays Calvin, a fresh-out-of-jail adult thief who happens to be the size of a toddler. The film's true wonder is the very effective computer-generated imagery that makes real-life tall and skinny Marlon into a short, thick, baby-sized guy ready for a diaper.

On the lam from a diamond heist, little Calvin winds up disguised as a baby and left on the porch of loving couple Darryl and Vanessa (Shawn Wayans and Kerry Washington), who decide to care for him over the weekend.

As the Wayans' pitch to the studio surely proposed, hilarity ensues.

There are variations on bits borrowed from "Airplane!" (a jive-talkin' white woman) and "Home Alone" (Calvin's attack on house invaders). The film's linchpin conceit is even more threadbare, dating back at least to Tod Browning's bizarre 1925 silent film "The Unholy Three," which featured a dwarf as a sideshow escapee and crime figure disguised as a baby.

"Little Man" also has dozens of pop culture references from "Sanford and Son" to the "Chucky" films.

Some verbal jokes simply don't work, and Darryl's persistent I-wanna-be-a-daddy musings are more insipid than inspiring.

But some of the physical comedy scores. There's a shocking ice hockey brawl and a violent, over-the-top backyard football game where those body slams on kids effectively play out.

Basically, if you like this kind of comedy, there's plenty to laugh about. A preview crowd this week often broke into hysterical guffaws.

One thing is certain: "Little Man" is a better effort than the latest entry in the "Scary Movie" franchise they launched, a ripe wasteland riddled with bad humor and void of charm.

At its best, "Little Man" takes the we-all-know-it's-coming sappy ending and makes it at least palatable.

That's a big plus.