Undercover Brother

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Travis Willock reviews

Undercover Brother
(widescreen edition)
Distributed by
Universal Home Video

    Cover

  • Cert: PG-13
  • Cat.no: 22450
  • Running time: 87 minutes
  • Year: 2002
  • Pressing: 2003
  • Region(s): 1, NTSC
  • Chapters: 20
  • Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 (Eng only)
  • Languages: English, French
  • Subtitles: Spanish
  • Widescreen: 1.85:1
  • 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
  • Macrovision: Yes
  • Disc Format: DVD 9
  • Price: $27.98
  • Extras:2 Audio Commentary Tracks, Outtakes, Animated Shorts, AlternateEnding, Behind-the-Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Music Video, TheatricalTrailer, Cast & Crew Highlights, Music Highlights

    Director:

      Malcolm D. Lee

Screenplay:

    John Ridley and Michael McCullers

Cast:

    Undercover Brother: Eddie Griffin
    Mr. Feather: Chris Kattan
    White She-Devil: Denise Richards
    Sistah Girl: Aunjanue Ellis
    Lance: Neil Patrick Harris
    The Chief: Chi McBride
    Conspiracy Brother: Dave Chapelle

It was only a matter of timebefore another studio would make it’s ownAustin Powers. For some reason it took until 2002 with this entry butsomething has happened… can it actually be BETTER? I think it may.Especially after the turd-in-a-shiny-new-wrapper that wasAustin Powers in Goldmemberthis will replenish the thinning laughs left in its wake.

Originally started as a series of internet Flash cartoons (which arethankfully collected on the disc) who would have guessed it would havebecome a movie. The plot is pretty simple so here goes. Imagine thatDennis Rodman was the work of a secret organization called The Man. TheMan is bent on keeping African Americans down and preventing them fromseemingly “taking over” white pop culture.

Mr.Feather (Chris Kattan‘sfunniest role yet) acts as The Man’s henchman when there is news that ablack president might make it into the White House. The Man brainwasheshim and instead of announcing his run for president he announces… achain of fried chicken restaurants (seriously). Furious, the BrotherHood, the counterpart of The Man, decides to send in newly recruitedvigilante Undercover Brother (also Eddie Griffin‘s best role) to stopThe Man once and for all.

The road is not straight through for Undercover Brother though. He willhave to fight the temptation of White She-Devil (I can see how it wouldbe a challenge to refuse Denise Richards) and keep his fro. In allseriousness this character is more fresh than the stale Austin Powers(in Goldmember anyway). It is also a hilarious spoof of two genres,Blaxplotation and Bond. The BrotherHood also includes some funnycharacters like Conspiracy Brother, Smart Brother, Sistah Girl, and thealways great Chi McBride as The Chief. I’m already planning my secondviewing soon.

Undercover Brother is presented in a near perfect 1.85:1 anamorphictransfer from Universal (who continues to flood the Region 1 market withseperate full frame transfers by the way). Colors are very sharp andflesh tones represent a “real” type quality to them that shines throughin the transfer. The only problem is that some scenes exhibit darkerresolutions than some but other than that this is one of Universal’sbest.

Two audio options are offered. The Dolby Digital track is great but theDTS 5.1 option is the one most people with the equipment will go for.The DTS offers much more ambience than the Dolby track but both arefine.

Universal has included some worthwhile extras here. Here’s how it stacksup:

  • Audio Commentary: The first track features star Eddie Griffin, theother features director Malcolm D. Lee and crew. Griffin’s track gets alittle bland in some spots so the technical track might be the way togo.
  • Alternate Ending: Can also be viewed with commentary by directorMalcolm D. Lee. Ending is okay but it would have definitely stuck out.The video quality is pretty bad which suggests workprint. Presented innon-anamorphic 2.20:1 widescreen.
  • Outtakes: Runs a little over 4 minutes and is standard fare with a fewthat stick out. Worth checking out. Non-anamorphic 1.85:1.
  • Animated Shorts: The real shiner of the disc. Each internet Flashcartoon is presented here in great video quality. These are very funnyand it is interesting to see how much changed for the movie (all shortswere still written by the same John Ridely of the movie). Full frame andthey run about 20 minutes.
  • Deleted Scenes: 13 total and runs 30 minutes total. Presented innon-anamorphic 1.85:1. You can definitely tell why these were cut.
  • Snoop Dogg “Undercover Funk”: Another standard fare music video.Non-anamorphic 1.85:1. 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
  • Welcome to the Brotherhood: The Making of Undercover Brother: Lots of promotional fluff. Just interviews and clips from the film. Some info isgiven on origin but not much worth watching for. Full frame and 28minutes long.
  • MISC: Music Highlights, Trivia Game (way too easy), Theatrical Trailer(non-anamorphic), Production Notes, and Cast Info caps it off.

Universal has put together some nice supplements and kudos hasto be given for including the entire internet series.

Packaging is amaray and uses the rather generic theatrical poster forthe cover. There are 20 chapters for the movie while menus include musicand moving images.

Overall, Undercover Brother suprised me. At first glance it may looklike a shameless Austin Powers rip off, which I think is why it didn’tdo too well at the box office, but look past it and you’ll find one ofthe funnier movies of the new millennium… seriously.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALL
Review copyright © Travis Willock, 2003.

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