Carrey is back in fine form in this movie. I never saw The Cable Guy and don't regret it. But with right vehicle, Carrey can put a movie into orbit, and Houston, we do not have a problem here.

Given my "undying" love for lawyers (see my Truths Inviolate section for more on this), any movie that plays these "pillars" of society as fools has a lot going for it right out of the starting gate. As mentioned, the son (one of those mop-topped Hollywood cherubs that makes your skin crawl) is the product of a divorce and Carrey does not put in the proper quality time. Enter the wish.

Once Carrey is forced to tell the truth, no matter what, the movie busts wide open. Unlike Dumb and Dumber and other Carrey moron movies, this one has a plot and Carrey has to prove that he is enough of an actor to, well, carry it. Not only does it have a strong plot, but its underlying message is quite sweet for these cynical '90s.

He does carry it. While I won't be so gushing in my praise to call it a home run, it does score a solid triple, which for a comedy is doing well indeed.

Now comes the whole crux of the matter. Given how the cretins who cut the trailers we see in movie theaters nowadays are obsessed with giving away the entire movie, did they do so here? Are all of the funny lines/scenes there to be viewed an unfunny second time when you plunk down your hard-earned cash for a ticket?

Thankfully not. There are pounds of scenes left for your enjoyment. (What happens involving a 747 will have you busting a gut. Which shows that Carrey could put one of those behemouths to better use than his wife did in Turbulence.)

Liar Liar has typical amounts of funny foul-mouthed language for a PG-13 flick, so it ain't one to take the tykes to. Other than that warning, a solid comedy job done by all.

Movie's suitability for:

• Action Jackson: 40%
• Joe Fratboy (date movie): 70%
• Cinephile (pretentious movie lover): 40%
• comedy lover: 80%
• all around movie-goer: 80%
• Jim Carrey fans: 100%