Undercover Brother

This Austin Powers-style blaxploitation spoof doesn't miss a single joke. From the hero's souped-up Caddy that shoots slicks of Afro Sheen and ejects 8-track tapes as weapons, to the secret handshake I.D. system that confirms blackness at B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. spy headquarters, to the histrionic Chris Kattan (Corky Romano) as a fey bad guy, it's a laugh riot. The plot: wisecracking, bad-ass, pimp-daddy spy Undercover Brother (Eddie Griffin in a snakeskin wardrobe and a two-foot 'fro) has to save the day from The Man, a megalomaniacal Caucasian corporate billionaire trying to stop a Colin Powell-like black politician (Billy Dee Williams) from running for president by brainwashing him into opening a chain of fried chicken joints. Nothing is sacred in this gut-buster, but it's a pity the filmmaking is so sloppy: aside from delivering plot points and gags on schedule, director Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man) seems chiefly concerned with turning in a movie shorter than 90 minutes, and therefore edits with a machete. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentaries by star Eddie Griffin and by director Malcolm Lee, a 27-minute making-of featurette, 25 jump-to-scene music highlights, 16 deleted scenes with optional commentary, five minutes of outtakes, a three-minute alternate ending with optional commentary, 21-minutes of the Urban Entertainment shorts the film was based on (which were created and written by John Ridley), a “Beat the Man” trivia game, the Snoop Dogg music video “Undercova Funk,” cast and crew highlights, production notes, a trailer and DVD-ROM features. Bottom line: a soulful extras package for a baadassss flick.] (R. Blackwelder)