Search - Undercover Brother [Fullscreen Collector's Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Adult Humor, Profanity Movie Release: 2002 DVD Release: 01/14/2003 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 27 mins Studio: Universal Studios Total Copies: 23 Genres: Comedy, Action Comedy, Parody/Spoof See Also: Undercover Brother [Widescreen Collector's Edition]

Undercover Brother began life as an animated series on the Internet. The satirical cartoon was created by novelist and screenwriter John Ridley (Three Kings) for the website urbanentertainment.com. Ridley wrote the screenplay with Michael McCullers, co-writer of the Austin Powers sequels, and it was directed by Malcolm D. Lee (Spike Lee's cousin, and the writer/director of The Best Man). The film stars Eddie Griffin (of TV's Malcolm and Eddie) as Undercover Brother, he of the gold Cadillac convertible and huge Afro, who uses gadgets and disguises to steal from the rich and give to the poor. His activities are discovered by the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D., a spy organization devoted to subverting The Man (Robert Trumbull) and his henchman, Mr. Feather (Chris Kattan), who use their power over the media to demean black people and destroy racial unity. The spy organization is run by The Chief (Chi McBride), who is constantly screaming at his subordinates. They include Sistah Girl (Aunjanue Ellis), a beautiful martial artist, Conspiracy Brother (Dave Chappelle), who sees white supremacist plots everywhere, and Smart Brother (Gary Anthony Williams, who provided the voice of Undercover Brother in the cartoon), who supplies the operatives with gadgets and information. When a popular black political figure, General Boutwell (Billy Dee Williams), calls a press conference, presumably to announce his presidential candidacy, and instead announces that he's opening a chain of fried chicken restaurants, the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. rightly suspects foul play, and recruits Undercover Brother to look into it. He goes undercover as an uptight buppie to work for The Man, but his cover is soon blown, and the seductive White She Devil (Denise Richards) is sent in to use her feminine wiles to destroy Undercover Brother. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Eddie Griffin - Anton Jackson/Undercover Brother
Chris Kattan - Mr. Feather
Aunjanue Ellis - Sistah Girl
Dave Chappelle - Conspiracy Brother

Malcolm D. Lee's comedy Undercover Brother comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. Closed-captioned English soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, while a French soundtrack has also been recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1. Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include commentary from the director as well as from star Eddie Griffin, a blooper reel, an alternate ending, deleted scenes, a music video from Snoop Dogg, and a selection of the original short movies that inspired the feature length film. This is a fine release for what it is, but the same extras are available on a different disc that offers a widescreen transfer of the film. That version is preferable to this one. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide