Undercover Brother

The blaxploitation genre is one that’s been ready for parody, and the Eddie Griffin comedy, “Undercover Brother,” does it in a way that despite owing more than a little to “Austin Powers,” nevertheless is one of the few comedy films to come out so far in 2002 that is funny and better than the usual big budget studio comedy that has been released 5-6 years prior. For every three jokes that work there’s two that don’t, but the intelligence of the idea behind it, a very likeable cast and smooth production values help hide the quiet spots more than normal.

Garth Franklin said in his review, “Performances are ‘solid’ – after a series of dogs, Griffin gives his best work in a while and plays a character he’s perfectly adept for.” Denise Richards is a surprisingly good comic foil and plays up not only her own image but shows she can sing in a great karaoke scene. Aunjanue Ellis however leaves the biggest impact as the tough Sistah Girl and can swap between showing off and playing it straight perfectly.

On the other hand, Chris Kattan doesn’t work so well as he sadly doesn’t really get to do a lot except deliver some surprisingly unfunny camp lines as The Man’s right-hand guy “Mr. Feather,” but he does get one good joke with a dance scene (but his hidden black man storyline feels weak). Neil Patrick Harris feels superfluous in the beginning but gets better and better, and Dave Chappelle as Conspiracy Brother remains funny throughout, especially being with greats like Chi McBride as The Chief and Gary A. Williams as “Smart Brother.” Also be on the lookout for the underrated actor Jack Noseworthy as Feather’s aide.

Franklin noted, “Jokes in this are hit and miss but thankfully a little more of the former. From the ‘not so high speed’ golf buggy chase with a hilarious ending, to the Caucasia-vision training session and opening montages – there’s a LOT of great gags including ‘The Fatty’ cigar to the catfight and the cultural changes (i.e., “How Stella Got Her White Man Back”).”

Franklin continued, “However there’s also quite a few that don’t – the barber chair entrance, the non-clicking Billy Dee Williams Fried Chicken gags, the mayonnaise gags, the ‘converted’ brother, and some more over the top references. Funnily enough most of the bad gags flow toward the middle where the story is weakest – the opening and closing 15 minutes are hilarious throughout and will have you leaving the theatre with a smile.”

The script has a good idea behind it and makes good fun of pop culture references, however the story feels very general and modest (it might have needed a little work) with “the Man” threat and outline feel somewhat underdeveloped. Franklin noted, “Direction and cinematography is surprisingly high quality – despite the simple story and some occasionally choppy editing, this has a high production level and ‘film quality’ about it with interesting sets and well incorporated use of classic 70’s music.” “Undercover Brother” is a great fun thriller, nothing groundbreaking honestly but perfect light fun that’s easily equal to “Austin Powers,” which was made five years prior.

I really had a lot of fun watching this movie. When I watched it, I laughed throughout the film and I think that if you haven’t seen this, you should. You will absolutely love it and will be laughing. This is one of the funniest comedies I have never seen. Check it out if you haven’t, especially if you’re a fan of any of the cast members in here. I promise you, you will not be disappointed after watching this.

Alright everyone, that ends this year’s “Black History Movie Month.” I hope everyone enjoyed my reviews this time around, as I know I focused more on comedies that may or may not have been well-received when they first came out. Still, I hope that I made some good recommendations for everyone to see.

Look out next month to see what I will review next.