Undercover Brother 2 (2019)
(On TV, April 2022) My first and probably biggest laugh of Undercover Brother 2 came from its TV Guide listing, which (instead of the usual plot blurb) read – in its entirety – “A sequel to the 2002 comedy Undercover Brother.” It’s blunt, descriptive, and probably the best thing anyone can say about the film. (It’s also the current description of the film on IMDB, which tells you something about the care and enthusiasm through which the film was released and greeted.) Considering the high regard in which I hold the original film (which must be widespread considering that they green-lit a sequel), my expectations for the sequel were certainly too high. Eddie Griffin is not only replaced by Michael Jai White as the titular character, but he himself is put out of action for most of the film’s duration, as the plot instead focuses on his younger, lesser brother. (Yes, that means “Undercover Brother’s Brother,” which probably would have been a better title for it.) Otherwise, we are in frank low-budget sequel territory here: unconvincing sets, substandard actors, paper-thin plot (albeit with a fun twist or two) and an overall feeling of everyone simply getting through the entire thing to collect their paycheque. Wit and style are largely optional here, although the film does take a surprising aim at the so-called woke culture of outrage along the way. (It’s all co-opted by The Man anyway.) While not intolerable per se, Undercover Brother 2 is a much lesser film than the original by all measures. It occasionally works its way to a chuckle, but at that point we’re more pitying the film for being unable to meet its objectives than anything else. I don’t exactly regret my time watching it because I would have been curious about it anyway. But I can’t say that the viewing gave me much. If I’m to watch substandard all-black cast films, I might as well go for the gonzo plotting, earnest limitations and cute actresses of BET Original films. It is indeed “A sequel to the 2002 comedy Undercover Brother,” but nothing more.