Jamie Kennedy plays Brad Gluckman (or “B-Rad”), the rich son of a politician living in Malibu. Brad has some issues. He acts like he’s a black kid from the hood and he thinks he can rap (he can’t). Naturally, his parents are horrified and his father’s campaign manager, played by Blair Underwood, comes up with a plan to have two black actors kidnap Brad, bring him to the real hood and scare him into being the nice white kid that his parents can be proud of.
I really didn’t expect much going into this movie, and nothing I saw really surprised me. It’s a silly comedy with a fairly predictable plot, and all the jokes revolve around the theme of racial stereotypes. That said, the writers deserve some credit for not holding back and having some fun with the topic. Brad looks like a fool as the rich white kid who acts black. The two black actors who kidnap him are also made to look foolish as they try to act black. If you think the premise is funny, then you’ll probably enjoy some of the gags.
The racial stereotype theme has been popular in recent comedies, including Chris Rock’s “Head of State” and Martin Lawrence’s “National Security.” Believe it or not, this film is probably funnier than those two flops, though that’s not saying much.
2.5 / 5 Stars
Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, Blair Underwood, Regina Hall
Director: John Whitesell
Reviewed by John Anderson
