Opération funky

I loved "Undercover Brother!" It's the movie "Pootie Tang" should have been! I found it over-the-top, laugh-out-loud funny! Eddie Griffin scores as Undercover Brother, an afrolicious version of Austin Powers. And Chris Kattan is hilarious as Mr. Feather, an evil underling of The Man, devoted to the white man's dominance, but succumbing to hip-hop influence. Other funny performances came from Dave Chappelle as the paranoid Conspiracy Brother, and Neil Patrick Harris as the clueless caucasian intern Lance. Some viewers may complain about the black stereotypes, but you must look at it as black actors and filmmakers laughing at themselves. It's all a "solid" laugh!

In the 80s there was a film called "i'm gonna get you sucka" about a black gang led by keenan ivory wayans who bring down a white company run by Mr. Big played by john vernon. It was hilarious and "undercover brother" is the same type of movie and equally funny. Whitey has mind-controlled a black general modeled on colin powell, and turned him away from running for president. Instead they have him shill for a fried chicken restaurant that has mind control drugs in their chicken.!! Whitey wants to turn blacks into slaves and the BROTHERHOOD led by our hero UB, is out to stop them. Among the choice bits of silliness is when smart brother develops a vaccine against the drugs but says they can't use it cause it only works on one person at a time!!! Now how can a vaccine only work on one person at a time? HAHAHA. I give this movie a B+.

There's seems to be a lot of misplaced animosity among, what I presume, are "white" commentators, regarding this film's racial thrust.

The film isn't about belittling or ridiculing "white people."

The film is about tackling prejudices: And specifically those among the U.S.'s so-called "white" and "black" populations, but told from, ostensibly, a "black" perspective, and told with humor.

Reading the negative comments on this film I wonder what movie some of the angry folks were watching. Racism is using one's own physical traits to establish social superiority over another person, or group of people, who don't look like themselves. I saw nothing of any of the African/Black/persons-of-color trying to "reverse role play" by holding themselves in a superior light over so-called "white people."

It simply wasn't there.

Myself, I hate "white guilt" messages in media of all forms. I've had enough social agenda thrust in my face. But that's NOT THE MESSAGE of "Undercover Brother."

What a lot of the "angry-white-commentators" are bothered by is the fact that they believe this film makes ALL so-called "white persons" look like evil-clowns, or condescending jerks. IT DOESN'T. If that's what you see in this film, then maybe you shouldn't be watching movies in the first place.

This film, as stated clear as day by both cast and crew, is an attempt to tackle a social problem with good humor. If you're offended by the jokes in this film, then you've completely missed the point, and are, in fact, the racist idiot that you claim this film to be (I believe psychologist call this phenomenon "projection," where someone refuses to acknowledge their own faults, and casts their own negative qualities on people they dislike).

But to the movie; it was hilarious. Myself, not being black, I couldn't help but laugh of the number of stereotypes this film poked fun at; especially "Conspiracy Brother" (played by Dave Chappell), whose loose form of illogic-thinking and one-liners had me, quite literally, falling out of my chair with laughter. And Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D. fame) playing the "affirmative action" intern nearly bust my gut, particularly near the end of the film. And Chris Kattan as the evil high energy second in command was just brilliant. The entire cast and film was superb. Think "Shaft" meets "Get Smart" here. :-)

What this film needed was to poke more fun at itself in a more direct manner. In a large sense this film pokes fun at itself in terms of its genre, but I think it also needed to show a couple more stereotypes. One of the great "high-profile" stereotypes in white America are black people talking in theaters, or otherwise being loud and obnoxious in places and circumstances "white" Americans thinks inappropriate. It would've been nice to see Undercover Brother cleaning up "his peoples" stereotypes, but doing so with humor before going after "the man."

I think that's a thing the film makers missed, because the other thing I believe "angry white commentators" are bothered by is the fact that there are "black" folks who have their own prejudices, and that this film might seen by that segment of black-America as a green light for ridiculing "whites." IT ISN'T.

One of the other themes the film makers missed is the coupling that that occurs between Denise Richard's character and Eddie Griffin's character. One of the primary drives of racism is the abhorrence of interracial couples. This plot point, even though it's high comedy, seemed implausible for a racially motivated antagonist. Then again, that may've been part of the film makers' strategy to show how ludicrous racial prejudice is, and can be.

The final mistake, and this is more of a minor quibble, but a profound one from a fan of this film, was the downplay of Jim Kelley's role in this film.

Where I grew up Jim Kelley was a hero, and this was amongst a circle of friends who were all white. I think the marketing decision to ace Jim Kelley's role in this film was a mistake. Not a huge one, but a mistake nonetheless.

If you're still of the opinion that this film is racist (assuming you've read this far and haven't burst a blood vessel), then I would suggest you're taking the film too personally, because the film isn't ridiculing so-called "white-people," but prejudice that, in this case, is assumed by a large chunk of white America. If you think otherwise, then you're not viewing this film with a clear mind.

Beyond that, it's one of the funniest films I've ever seen. View it with a relaxed and open mind, and enjoy some of the biggest laughs to ever hit the big screen.

UNDERCOVER BROTHER (2002) **** Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards, Aunjanue Ellis, Dave Chappelle, Chi McBride, Gary Anthony Williams, Neil Patrick Harris, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Noseworthy, James Brown (as himself). Hysterically funny adaptation of the cult Internet animated hero tailor made for Griffin (finally a vehicle to prove he's one funny guy) – a self-defined hero with a style not unlike Shaft or Superfly (well, at least the funky duds and humongo Afro with pork chop sideburns) – who teams up with THE B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D - an underground secret agency for the African American way of life – out to thwart The Man from whitewashing America. I haven't laughed from beginning to end of a comedy in many a moon and practically every sight gag, one-liner, and/or slapstick works on every level, low and highbrow thanks to the character's creator John Ridley (who collaborated on the riotous script with Michael McCullers) but it's hats off to Chappelle as the militant headstrong Conspiracy Brother that steals the show with every outrageous vent of his angry spleen; the sexy duplicity of babelicious Richards as Penelope Snow (aka White She-Devil) – ‘the black man's Kryptonite' – whose hellacious curves and pouty demeanor is campily and knowingly spoofed to full effect; Elllis equally hot and cool as ass-kicking Sista Girl; rotund nerd Williams as Smart Brother the techno dweeb; McBride as the gruff yet lovable Chief; Harris as white boy intern Lance (who arguably has one of the funniest cinematic breakdown fights ever put onscreen) and finally formidably nutty foil Kattan as right hand flunky to the archenemy. In the same vein as AUSTIN POWERS, ZOOLANDER & POOTIE TANG : quite simply the year's funniest film and one of the funniest films ever made. Solid! (Dir: Malcolm D. Lee)

...Most of the time, the type of comedies we get are teen comedies that pretty much only focus on sexual topics. Not my cup of tea. It's just not funny.

But here, we have a brilliantly funny comedy about a black man mentally stuck in the 70s who's out their protecting racial equality. We also have "The Brotherhood," a secret organization doing the same thing, consisting of mostly blacks. But they stress the message that you just have to be "down" to be in the brotherhood, and you don't have to be black. At first, it seems like only blacks are welcome. But then they realize that working as an equal team is how the job should really be done, regardless of one's race. So this movie has a good message, despite all the racial jokes.

But enough of that. This movie is hilarious! The jokes they make about both black culture and white culture kept me laughing all the way through. You can't take it too seriously. If you do, getting offended will come with the territory for you, and that's not what this movie is about. What goes through my head when the jokes are cracked is, "That's exactly how it is!" And I'm a white guy.

Sure, a lot of the jokes are ones that have been used before. But the WAY they're used in this movie and the creativity behind it all is what made me laugh.

So if you don't get offended easily by culture jokes, and you're in the mood to laugh a lot, this movie is for you.