Undercover Brother

Undercover Brother is more than a black man's Austin Powers, it's a universally appealing buffet of race jokes and 70's humor. Find out more in our DVD review.

Aside from afros and some very fine looking women, I really didn't know what to expect from this "black comedy". Based on positive buzz I took a chance and popped it in. Right away I recognized what the film was, what the cast and crew had set out to make, and what they achieved flawlessly. This movie -- is non-stop fun.

In an age of political correctness and playing it safe, it's good to find a movie that isn't the least bit afraid to poke fun at the lines that separate black and white culture. This is balls-out comedy that is never too offensive in any one direction. Undercover Brother is the right amount of every comedic spice, with some serious 70's soul. Unlike some other flicks that attempt to make race relations funny, this one will make you laugh.

The story is set in modern day and involves two top-secret opposing groups, the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D (don't ask me what the acronym stands for) and "The Man." Yes, it turns out there really is a "man" keeping the black man down.

When The Man devises a plot to brainwash an African American presidential candidate, only the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D, with the help of the newly recruited Undercover Brother, stand a chance of stopping him. The Man retaliates with Black Man's Kryptonite, a.k.a. White She Devil, a.k.a. Denise Richards.

It's fun to see Denise as an exaggerated stereotypical white woman, and the added eye-candy doesn't hurt either. Her intro scene is enough to make the eyes weep with joy and warrants the use of your player's repeat mode. In another scene, She Devil and Sistah Girl duke it out and end up wearing little clothing under raining showerheads. Again, not too difficult on the eyes.

Neil Patrick Harris plays the ultimate white intern in serious need of soul, while Chris Kattan plays Mr. Feather, assistant to The Man who is denying his strong soul tendencies. David Chappelle was cast well as Conspiracy Brother, a role his stand up comedy lends itself well to. And of course the real shining star here is Eddie Griffin, who plays Undercover Brother flawlessly.

On the technical side of things Universal has brought a lot to the table with this disc, in both terms of transfer quality and extra features. The colors are rich and vibrant (as any take on 1970 style should be) and there are hardly any defects to speak of.

The extra features provided are pretty juicy, and include the original animated Internet shorts the film was based on, as well as an alternate ending, the Snoop Dog "Undercova Funk" music video, deleted scenes, outtakes, a "making of" feature, two commentaries, and a trivia game. Solid.

Carl Johnson
DVD Reviewer, Kikizo Movies