I don't want to say it, because Bringing Down the House is just a lighthearted interracial comedy, but the movie did not leave me straight trippin'. Then again, I don't know if that's good or bad, which pretty accurately describes how I felt about the movie.

Steve Martin is adorable, and Queen Latifah certainly rules the screen, but the movie was more chuckalicious than outright funny.

Eugene Levy has much of the bulk of laughs, as the "cocoa-goddess"-loving best friend, trying to woo the luscious Latifah with dope talk and loyalty.

Predictable and downright telegraphed, the comedy is run of the mill stuff, with only a few surprises. Although, those surprises will leave the audience talking, especially a cat fight in a woman's restroom between Latifah and Missi Pyle (Laliari in Galaxy Quest). But hey, isn't that what always happens when women gather together to powder their noses?

The fish-out-of-water bits run both ways, with Latifah bringing the hood to Martin's stuffy wasp world, and Martin attempting to fit in with the hip-hop party scene. Of course, there are also some extreme caricatures of race relations, since, hey, slave humor never gets old, does it?

There's a plot, but it doesn't matter much. Something about Latifah trying to prove her innocence in a robbery, and Martin trying to hook back up with ex-wife Jean Smart. You know how each turns out.

If you're looking for this kind of movie, it may be a fun matinee. Home girl Latifah has got it going on, teaching the white folk how to live life to the fullest and clean up family problems. And besides, "once you go black, you never go back."