Undercover Brother

Starring: Eddie Grffin, David Chapelle, Denise Richards, Aunjanue Ellis, Chris Kattan, Chi McBride, Neil Patrick Harris and Gary Anthony Williams (cameo by James Brown)
Dircted by: Malcom D. Lee
Rated: PG-13
Interview w/Eddie Griffin

Undercover Brother is a hoot! Oh, I'm sorry is that all white talkin' lingo? Based on the seventies era of Blaxploitation films; Blacula, Shaft and Foxy Brown. The screen could barely contain the fro's girth!

It was a time of bellbottoms and funkadelic souls….Undercover Brother riffs off that tune. While no way as clever as Keenan Ivory Wayans' Gonna Get You Sucka it has plenty of hearty tacky laughs to almost out weigh its slower, bad comedy. It's the lethargic parts that kept this sucka down man.

Story goes the Blackman has lost his oomph thanks to "The Man" making everything a generic-Friends-watching-Starbuck slurping-Mock Turtle Neck Khaki wearing reality. The Man has even managed to take down the current black hero General (Billy Dee Williams) and this time it aint a conspiracy theory getting folks up in arms! It really is a corporate dude named The Man whitewashing black folks with his mind control formulas.

By feeding the hero General one of these sinister liquids the General has announced instead of running for Prez he's opening a chain of fried chicken restaurants!

Uh-oh! The underground black version of Get Smart known as The B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. needs to commandeer Under Cover Brother and stop the madness before they all go white!

UB is a cool walkin karate choppin' fast talkin' jive agent that represents a wonderful snapshot of the seventies funk-o-rama once blossoming in the black culture. He's stylin! He's also down with the gig and agrees to assist his panther-like brothers.

Along with his new partner Sistah Girl and a posse of colorful characters, Smart Brother, Chief Brother and Conspiracy Brother (Aunjanue Ellis, Gary Anthony Williams, Chi McBride and David-a fave- Chapelle), he infiltrates the source of The Man.

Ah, but The Man's head honcho Mr. Feather (Chris- same old role- Kattan) has brought in the "Black Man's Kryptonite" to battle the bros! Meet agent Penelope Snow (aka White She Devil aka Denise Richards). Her mission is to blind UB from following through on his oath to save the black man via some tight white booty and mayonnaise! Yes, mayonnaise…

Okay the story's silly and far-fetched. It's supposed to be. It's a politically incorrect taboo-slappin-knee hittin- poke at both the black and white races.

Eddie Griffin is being poised to be the next Chris Rock. He's a funny, funny guy. Had they given him a tad more room to expand and freak out with UB he could have used this as his stepping stone.

But honestly, it's David Chapelle as Conspiracy Brother that absolutely steals whatever show there is. Dave plays the quintessential angry black guy that has a big ol' fro hair across his adorable ass! His banter about the various things out to put him and his "people" down will have you spittin' coke out your lilly white nostrils!

Aunjanue Ellis was great as agent Sistah Girl and Denise Richards as White She Devil sexkittened the screen up.

If you're a bigot do-not-see this film. If you're of the new generation that loves the differences we all have you'll dig it. There seems to be an equal amount of stereotypes to go around. Um, white people apparently LOVE mayonnaise - though I wouldn't touch the stuff with a thirty-nine and a half inch pole. Black folks apparently LOVE fried chicken to the point were to bring down their "culture" The Man would only need to contaminate the spicy crumb coating. Hmm.

I think they did a pretty fair job of playing the race card on both sides. It's done in great fun and makes you see how ridiculous race wars can be. Too bad they didn't cut out these cheese enough to really nail the joke! The film gets a very strong 2 1/2 stars almost 3.

A truly funny quip from the film: "This is a great day for black people of all races."

Snack Recommendation: Fried Chicken with hot sauce and a Tab