DVD Review

Malibu's Most Wanted

Malibu?s Most Wanted had the potential to be an amusing social commentary/satire, but all that relied on the script.

While there are a few chuckles wrapped up here, I thought I was literally going to become mentally retarded by the end of the first act.
Ever since his early years when starring in Scream (B), I?ve been a fan of Jamie Kennedy ? not a big one, but enough to admire his on-screen presence even though I?ve never seen his television series.

But based upon the trailer to Malibu?s Most Wanted and a few of the comments the film received from critics, I was preparing myself for what might possibly be somewhat of an endearing and goofy glance at society. The trailer for this comedy had oomph, and even if the ad wasn?t very funny, it had a pulse, which made me ponder about the state of the movie. After watching this flick, I realized the brutal truth: its only pulse is in the preview.

Jamie Kennedy stars as B-Rad, a white young adult who lives in Malibu yet talks like he?s black. His fellow buddies are very much like him, speaking with a rather ghetto lingo. Much like in Black Sheep (C-), the main character?s father is a senator. And knowing that his oblivious rapper son will interfere with the current political campaign, his father orders for two amateur Hollywood actors (played by Anthony Anderson and Taye Diggs) to pose as thugs in order to kidnap B-Rad and keep him out of public attention. With B-Rad being an oddball, it is no surprise that he drives his fake kidnappers nuts, thus ensuing a path of chaos.

The problem with Malibu?s Most Wanted is not just the fact that it?s brutally unfunny, but it plays like a Saturday Night Live spin-off where the overall concept might work moderately well in a five minute sketch, but a full length feature film just doesn?t work at all. Kennedy is depending on his young teen fan-base to break out with chuckles every time his lingo sticks out, and unfortunately for him, the hardcore fans are prone to be of the only ones to take amusement in this formula.

The script sticks to idiotic punch lines for all of its duration, as most of the humor attempts come from B-Rad?s dialogue sticking out like a soar thumb. Now, I?ll admit that this general approach could be funny if written accordingly, but the results are just downright dumb. I did happen to chuckle two or three times throughout the film's duration, but the gags were a few seconds long at max, with the joke being from supporting characters and not Kennedy.

The film is rated PG-13 and yet the four screenwriters have almost written a family-friendly PG movie. This year?s presidential spoof, Head of State, with Chris Rock could?ve been like many of the failed SNL spin-off comedies where the primary joke may only be amusing if it were presented in a few minutes rather than an hour and a half. But even with a PG-13, Rock managed to put in some jokes and gags that weren?t totally child friendly, thus pleasing the folks in the room who did not beg mommy to take them to a matinee showing.

I can imagine that there are some people who will be amused by Malibu?s Most Wanted, and judging from the flick?s pretty decent box office numbers, there is evidently a crowd for this. But the film is aimed at a very young audience demographic who worships Kennedy to the point where anything he does will likely retrieve chuckles, if not laughs. And for everyone else waiting for an actual joke or gag to fulfill humor desires, they will probably sit stone faced to the very end as if they just saw American Beauty?if they even make it that far.

Lee's Grade: C-
Ranked #118 of 132 between Spider (#117) and The Cat in the Hat (#119) for 2003 movies.

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%