“Behind every black man is...”
“The police?”

And so it goes in Undercover Brother, one of the funniest movies that I have seen in a while. I thought there would be one or two funny bits, but the movie had me laughing consistently. Unlike say, Zoolander, where there was a few hits and several misses, this movie has many hits, with very few misses. Eddie Griffin plays the title character, and while he’s certainly good, its the strong supporting cast that helps elevate this movie above its competitors. Undercover Brother is a spoof, in the same vein as Austin Powers, but better, with more of a witty social commentary, without being too serious or resorting to gross-out humor, a rarity nowadays.

The movie follows the story of our title hero, who joins forces with the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D to defeat the Man (a shadowy white fellow), whose organization is intent on turning back the clock on race relations. When a retired general (Billy Dee Williams), who is considering running for president but instead opens a chain of fried chicken restaurants, our heroes suspect the Man and his assistant (played by a conflicted Chris Kataan) are up to something. Undercover Brother goes well, undercover, to thwart the the Man’s agenda. His disguise includes a sweater, glasses, a short haircut, docker pants, aversion to mayonnaise, and knowledge of everything related to ‘Friends’.

This movie probably deserves 3 stars, but I had to give it extra credit due to the dearth of good comedies in recent years. Its not obnoxious like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, stupid like Legally Blonde, or just plain god-awful like the Animal (possibly the worst...movie...ever!). While those movies, and many of their kind, may have had their moments, they would probably have been better off as Saturday Night Live sketches. There’s Something About Mary was funny, but in that all too familiar repugnant, offensive sort of way. Undercover Brother makes fun of everyone, not just white or black people, and is clever in doing so. Another plus is the movie doesn’t drag on, its under an hour and a half. Again, most importantly, its the supporting actors, Aunjanue Ellis, Dave Chappelle, Chi McBride, Denise Richards, Kataan, and even Doogie Howser who compliment Griffin to make this a very funny picture that relies on an imaginative script and talented actors rather than a star vehicle with fart jokes, bad language, and ‘lets be more disgusting than the last movie’ mentality.

Rating: ***1/2