Undercover Brother Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)June 6th, 2002
He Ain't Heavy, He's My "Undercover Brother"
There is nary a serious bone in "Undercover Brother," the eponymous title character who is a walking and talking monument to the 70's decade of Blaxploitation. He's a proud Black man who wears a medallion depicting a clenched fist so that he never forgets who he really is. And to cement his stereotypical identity, he drives a convertible Cadillac, sports a mega Afro, and blurts out "sah-lid" every time he feels good about himself. Yes, he's cool, down-with-it, and definitely got soul.
But he's the way that he is because, as the film suggests, the distinctive flavor of the Black culture has been slowly eroding away since it reached its heyday back in the 60s and 70s. Racial injustice is creeping higher. Undercover Brother (Eddie Griffith) knows that, and when we meet him for the first time, he has hacked into a bank's database in order to erase some select information from various files. You see, the files are specifically of Black applicants. The information is the bad credit scores that prevent them from getting the same loans as White folk.
At its core, "Undercover Brother" has elements of a racially charged Spike Lee drama (this film was directed by Spike's cousin) with the message that the Black population is still being unreasonable dissed. But it's presented and acted out with such gleeful abandon and high energy that it still succeeds in making its message clear without inspiring riots through its lowbrow and self-deprecating approach.
The reason for the Black's lessening impact on society is blamed on The Man, a shadowy Anglo figure who strives to keep the White House white. He has worked hard to keep the Black people from rising. After all, why do you think the 3-point arc in the NBA was created; why OJ was put on trial; why Urkel was a television show? It's to stifle the Blacks.
Now, the frontrunner for the presidential candidacy looks to be a respected black man name General Boutwell (Billy Dee Williams). Even on a news show, the white anchors coo that he's popular outside the urban areas and that he's so well-spoken. The Man and his organization work hard to successfully foil his presidential bid. And, it's now up to Undercover Brother and the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. (truth, justice, and the Afro-American way) organization to set things right.
The film has its funny moments because it is a clash of cultures and time periods. There's opportunity for humor, as UB must infiltrate The Man's organization as a whitened Black man. He shaves his afro, assumes a non-threatening demeanor and learns to like mayonnaise. But he suffers an identity crisis when he meets up with the pout-lipped Penelope (Denise Richards), winding up on a date at a karaoke bar where they sing "Ebony and Ivory." Another funny plus is the physical comedy of Chris Kattan, who is The Man's top henchman, but succumbs to Soul Train dance moves and street vernacular. With his inclusion, "UB" is not a racial statement but a satire and even a celebration of diversity.
What "UB" is missing, however, is sustained delivery. The comedy relied too heavily on visual references to the disco era in terms of clothes, hairdo, and his Bruce Lee imitation. If you're not of the 70s generation or don't know what "Shaft" or "Superfly" is, you're going to miss much of the humor. But thanks to people like Undercover Brother, the world will always be a funky place.
Grade: C+
S: 1 out of 3
L: 2 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
More on 'Undercover Brother'...
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