Undercover Brother (2002)
75%RT Audience Score: 64%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 7 nominations
Fast-paced and filled with racial gags, Undercover Brother serves up plenty of laughs and sharp satire
Undercover Brother” is a hilarious spoof of the blaxploitation genre that will have you laughing from start to finish. While some of the jokes fall flat, Dave Chappelle’s performance is a standout and saves the movie. The film is a love letter to the 70s, complete with funky music and outrageous outfits. It’s not for young kids, but if you’re looking for a fun and culturally specific satire, “Undercover Brother” is the way to go. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and get ready to laugh your butt off!
Production Company(ies)
Cosmo Films, Distressed Films, Film Nation Entertainment,
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
R.C. Harris Water Filtration Plant, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for language, sexual humor, drug content and campy violence
Year of Release
2002
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 25m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2002 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards, Aunjanue Ellis, Dave Chappelle, Chi McBride, directed by Malcolm D Lee, written by John Ridley, Michael McCullers, John Ridley, produced by Brian Grazer, Michael Jenkinson, Damon Lee, comedy, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nell Minow, Neil Smith, Mark Caro, Dennis Lim, Marc Savlov, Richard Roeper, Justin Brown, Brandon Collins, Wayne Broadway, Nick Rogers, Jeffrey M Anderson, Michael Dequina, blaxploitation, spy films, racial gags, satire, Eddie Griffin as Undercover Brother, Chris Kattan as Mr Feather, Denise Richards as White She Devil, Aunjanue Ellis as Sistah Girl, Dave Chappelle as Conspiracy Brother, Chi McBride as The Chief, Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital, Flat (1.85:1), Universal Pictures, May 31, 2002 Wide, Jan 14, 2003 Streaming
Worldwide gross: $41,604,473
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $69,003,622
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,198
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 7,524,932
US/Canada gross: $39,089,928
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $64,833,092
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 958
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,037,685
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $19,965,254
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 657
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $41,464,065
Production budget ranking: 929
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,328,399
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $5,211,159
ROI to date (est.): 8%
ROI ranking: 1,358
Chris Kattan – Mr. Feather
Denise Richards – White She Devil
Aunjanue Ellis – Sistah Girl
Dave Chappelle – Conspiracy Brother
Chi McBride – The Chief
Brian Grazer – Producer
Michael Jenkinson – Producer
Damon Lee – Producer
Malcolm D. Lee – Director
John Ridley – Writer
Michael McCullers – Writer
Director(s)
Malcolm D. Lee
Writer(s)
John Ridley, Michael McCullers, John Ridley
Producer(s)
Brian Grazer, Michael Jenkinson, Damon Lee
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (130) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (101) | Rotten (29)
Stereotype-based satire; not for young kids.
December 29, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
January 29, 2003 | Rating: 2/5
Neil Smith
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
It’s breezily entertaining and culturally specific without resorting to gross-out jokes or cruelty.
July 20, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Much of Undercover Brother plays as a funnier, if similarly addled, Bamboozled.
June 11, 2002
Dennis Lim
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
It’s far from perfect — as many jokes fall flat as succeed — but like Undercover Brother himself, it’s smarter than most, and twice as solid.
June 10, 2002 | Rating: 3/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Instead of packing an R-rated, politically incorrect punch, the film goes for the easy laughs without getting too raunchy or violent, and the result is mildly amusing but mostly mediocre.
June 10, 2002
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
TOP CRITIC
Chappelle is kind of a guiding light throughout this whole thing. Otherwise it’s a bit of a mess.
June 3, 2022 | Rating: 2/5
Justin Brown
Medium Popcorn
Chappelle saves this movie in all of his scenes. I think some roles were miscast as the other performances either stifled the comedy or made it too silly.
June 3, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Brandon Collins
Medium Popcorn
Its occasionally muddled, and at times insidious messaging aside, ‘Undercover Brother’ works as a love letter to the 70s where, in the film’s view, Black consciousness and Black heroes ruled the land.
April 28, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Wayne Broadway
Black Girl Nerds
“Undercover Brother” fares better as a blaxploitation spoof than as silly-spy shtick. Scathing but not scatological, “Brother’s” withering insights are equal opportunity: Here, white guilt is as satirically punishable an offense as propping up prejudice.
November 10, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Nick Rogers
The Film Yap
Much funnier and craftier than it had any right to be.
February 8, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Every little piece of this project fell magically, hilariously in place, even if some of its gags don’t quite hit the target.
January 12, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com…
Plot
A white faceless corporate despot known only as “The Man”, has the power to unleash a terrifying top-secret weapon: an irresistibly packaged psycho-hallucinogenic drug that will reduce the entire population to mindless zombies. but black folks have soul. But with enough funky sense of style, a smooth way with the ladies and an absolute hunger for justice, with his Bruce Lee moves, Cadillac attitude and an arsenal of outrageous disguises and gadgets, Undercover Brother is recruited by the group of Good Guys, know as the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. an all-black justice league to foil the Man’s plan to derail a Colin Powell-like presidential candidate, and Undercover Brother’s undercover exploits keep the slim plot moving. But while he and his sassy cat-fighting partner known as Sistah Girl tries to find out what’s going on, the leader’s ruthless right arm, Mr. Feather, discovers the conspiracy’s sexy secret weapon, Penelope Snow.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments are given about the film in the Fresh Kernels summary.
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