Customer Reviews

Undercover Brother (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

This movie was hilarious--to me. But I was a member of that generation. Big afro, platform shoes and "hot pants." Being a bourgeois black pronouncing my E's and R's, I made them cringe when I said the N-word. So this movie was terribly funny to me. My hat's off to Malcolm Lee for having the courage to make such a film. One IMDB reviewer who complained of having been offended by white jokes doesn't have any idea of just how offensive a great deal of this was to some black viewers. Suggesting that all types of black men, no matter how hip and politically savvy, fantasize about white women took guts. Many people, especially younger ones will not see the humor. But I laughed all the way through it. All power to the people. Right on, my brother.

If you're a fan of those '70s blaxploitation movies like "Shaft", "Black Caesar", or "Foxy Brown", then this send-up movie will be drop-dead hilarious. But, even if you don't like those kind of films, this is still one smart comedy worth a look. The movie uses the blaxsploitation style as a springboard to discuss racial stereotyping. And guess what? It WORKS!

Right from the opening credits with the '70s styling and retro alphabet they used, right through to the the few comedy snippets in the closing credits (stay and watch how Undercover Brother parks his car!), the movie will have you hooked and keep you hooked.

A cross between those '70s movies, James Bond, and even a touch of "Naked Gun", "Undercover Brother" really delivers the laughs, as the pure 1970's retro and funky Undercover Brother joins up with the BROTHERHOOD to stop the evil plans of "The Man" and his henchmen. Billy Dee Williams plays a Colin Powell-like war hero who is in line to become the first black President before The Man steps in to stop him, and James Brown cameos.

What makes the movie work so well is that, instead of getting all PC and shying away from racial stereotypes, the film throws them right in your face to show just how stupid they are. Another thing I like is that the film does not just center on the stereotypes that white people have; stereotypes that black people have about whites get -- er, equal treatment, so to speak. This gives the film an even-handed approach, where most filmmakers would have just tried to get mileage out of '70s jokes, or jokes aimed at white people.

I noted that the audience was equally mixed at the showing I went to see, and the African Americans laughed just as hard as me, if not harder. Even as a white guy, I got a real kick out of Undercover Brother and the BROTHERHOOD as they were "takin' it to The Man", and you will, too.

Smart comedies are pretty rare these days, so either get thee to the theater, or wait and get the DVD! You'll want to keep this one!

Grimacing through Austin Powers's admittedly garish fest of sex and bathroom jokes, I was initally hesitant about this movie, but decided to give it a chance. Unlike the former, this retro-spy movie spoof is Dynomite in both inside references (everything from Colonel Sanders to The Incredible Hulk) and script.

The B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. sends it's top Agents Undercover Brother and Sistah Girl out after General Boutwell has been kidapped and brainwashed to uncritically accept mainstream white culture. The agents must find the substance responsible for the transformation, stop The Man from producing/distributing it, and then reverse the effects of "Opperation Whitewash". Undercover Brother must also watch out for the deadly powers of 'White She Devil' (Dennise Richards).

Best known as 'Doogie Howser' Neil Patrick Harris does an excellent job as Lance, the International Brotherhood's token white guy. Because Lance is one of those 'effeminate' men he cannot exploit black people the way other white men (such as those working for The Man) do. Lance initially considers himself an open-minded person, but this internship teaches him there is still lots of injustice in the world---and he has a role to play in working against it. Having grown up watching Harris on the small screen, seeing his range of comedic acting in this film was a pleasure.

The only thing seemingly out of kilter was the inclusion of Michael Jackson's 1980's hit "Beat It" in the climactic fight scene near the movie's end. Both the 1970's feel of the movie and Jackson's current status as racially ambigious make that track selection puzzling. Surely there was simmilar mood music from the 1970's.

With a funky sense of style, a smooth way with the ladies and an absolute hunger for justice, Undercover Brother has lived by his own rules since the day he heard his first Parliament Funkadelic groove. Fueled by the funk, he became the man he is today--Robin Hood of the 'hood, ready to step in, give the downtrodden a hand and fight the powers-that-be. With his Bruce Lee moves, Cadillac attitude and an arsenal of outrageous disguises and gadgets, he is patiently waiting for that one really heavy mission. The movie isn't just hilarious: It's witty and inventive, too. A funkadelic fun ride.

Undercover Brother might not have set records at the box office, or made its way to the top of DVD sales, but those who were presented with the opportunity to see Undercover Brother mostly agree that it is a fantastic movie.

Armed with some of the best conceptial humour and one-liners, UB is a movie packed with easily-accesible fun and features a suprisingly meaningful storyline.

The chemistry between the lead actors must also be given a mention- Eddie Griffin is a hugely underrated comedic actor and Undercover Brother really does showcase his true talents.

It is definitely a must see for all ages, and I would recommend this movie as more than a great alternative to the Austin Powers series. If you are one of those people that enjoys comedies and likes to have a bit of fun (namingly afro-american style), this should be on your must see list.

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The first Austin Powers is great-- but after that, it's just dragged down by seeing how many guest stars (Britney Spears? hello? She has the shelf-life of stale bread) Mike Myers could fit into it. It just got lame. At least this movie has some legitimate social satire, and doesn't resort to the excessively crude excrement jokes of Myers' comedies. Some of the reviews on this really trash it as being racist-- and any other movie, ultimately, isn't? Had the respectable actors (Eddie Griffin, Dave Chapelle, et. al) felt that it was a racist movie, they wouldn't have starred in it-- it's not like they're strapping for cash and this was the only thing they could get stuck into. I laughed my head off the first time I saw the movie, and enjoyed how well-timed it is-- the punchlines are delivered at a fast pace (something Austin Powers has failed to do since the first) and it's a heckuva lot cleaner.

This movie was one of the funniest I've seen in a long time. I'm ashamed to say it, but I really liked this movie, and I think almost everyone else did, too. You have to give this movie some credit for simply not being terrible, but it's a great movie in its own right. Eddie Griffin is awesome as the soul power superhero and Chris Kattan is hilarious as a bad guy with the secret ambition to be a brotha. Denise Richards is very funny and all the characters are very good and play off each other well. I really liked this movie and chances are, you will too.

This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. I laughed from the opening credits until the end. It is not your typical comedy, where you have a few good laughs here and there; this was funny from start to finish. A really good laugh for the true comedy connoisseur.

Undercover Brother played by Eddie Griffin is a brotha who at first appears to be a reject from the '70s. With an outdated Afro, platform shoes, and an orange soda, you want to tell him to get with the program.However, you later realize that Undercover Brother is for real and he is dedicated to uplifting the African American race.

Undercover Brother is hired by a secret African American organization that wants to dismantle the Man's organization whose mission is the destroy the soul of the African American race by the distribution of fried chicken. The Man's organization has drugged a Colin Powell like general played by Billie Dee Williams who was all set to run for the office of President. Instead, the General opens up a chain of fried chicken stores. The goal is rescue the General and save the African American race.

The Chief of the secret African American organization is a serious dude but somewhat twisted. His employees play characters that poke fun at African American and white stereotypes. Conspriracy Brother is convinced that everything is a plot by the White Man. Smart Brother has the mind of a genius that everyone would envy and a body that no one would want. Sistah Girl is the beautiful sistah who changes her looks every five minutes. There's the white affirmative action employee who appears that he was hired for a quota, but really wasn't.

The Man's messager is a white dude who believes in the Man. However, he can't shake off the influence of African American culture. He has rhythm and he can rap at a moment's notice.

She-Devil is a beautiful white woman who is the Black man's kryponite. Her goal is to destroy Undercover Brother with her charm and beauty. Does she succeed? Hmm...that's for you to find out.

With a hilarious message, it will keep you laughing. While at the time, it subtley examines the silliness of African American and white stereotypes.

Check it out.

My friend Kacoon and I saw this after she'd gone on a White Russian binge. We'd seen everything else in the theater, and she was in the mood for something slight.

Now, Kacoon and I have this penchant for picking the absolute-best bad movies out there and having a whale of a time while watching them, and "Undercover Brother," which had us laughing from the first "Macy Gray with porkchop sideburns" joke through its final moments.

The plot involves the first African American presidential hopeful, a Colin Powell-lookalike played, fittingly, by Billy Dee Williams. Moments before making his announcement to run, though, someone in the White Establishment working for The Man manages to get to him. Instead of running for president, Billy Dee ends up opening a chain of fried chicken/soul food restaurants.

It's up to Undercover Brother and his team from THE BROTHERHOOD (including the stereotypical Chief, Sistah Girl and Lance the white Affirmative Action intern) to save the day.

Throughout the movie, you hate yourself for laughing, but you do it anyway. Particularly when Denise Richards shows up as Ms. Snow, otherwise known as Black Man's Kryptonite.

Chris Kattan is the weakest spot in the cast, I thought, but the rest of the movie is dead-on in its parody of cop movies, spy movies, interracial romance movies, white culture, African-American culture and anything else it can get in its sights.

Very, very funny, even when the jokes are just ... wrong.