‘Little’ idea stretched way too far

If seeing a guy get whacked in the privates doesn’t make you laugh the first time, maybe it will the fourth, or the 24th time. In the off-putting, live-action cartoon “Little Man,” the latest offering from the brothers Wayans, it’s a fairly obvious gag to belabor, what with Marlon Wayans rendered, through the magic of cinematic deception, as a 2-foot, 6-inch Mini-Me, but obviousness is an ongoing theme here.

The Wayans brothers make high-concept, lowbrow comedies that pretty much defy review. While sometimes entering areas that might encourage satire or a point of view, they prefer to defiantly wield their humor like a blunt instrument, pummeling the audience with repetition in the hope that something sticks. In this case, the jokes rarely do.

If you’ve seen the trailer for “Little Man,” you know the gimmick. Marlon Wayans plays a criminal dwarf posing as a baby in order to retrieve a diamond he stole with his lunkheaded rap mogul-wannabe partner (Tracy Morgan). Brother Shawn Wayans plays a gullible man who desperately wants to be a father over the objections of his career-minded wife (Kerry Washington). Put the two together and you get a labored, extended gag reel that mines the neutered, PG-13 comedy that has become the brothers’ stock in trade. The screenplay, written by Marlon and Shawn with director brother Keenen Ivory Wayans, is devoid of verbal wit, instead relying on a relentless stream of Looney Tunes-inspired violence.

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“Little Man,” rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor throughout, language and brief drug references. Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes. In general release.