Movies

The movie had a good message about being responsible and down to earth even after hitting pay dirt. But, the message was nearly drowned in the cheesy delivery. As a result, this ethnic comedy comes off somewhat spoofish because of the mugging and overacting (which obviously was on purpose). I think of The Cookout (2004) as (one of the characters in the movie so aptly put it) a "Black Beverly Hillbillies," like the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) that was definitely satirical. Although it is true that the stereotypes were carried to the extreme, which explains why some viewers are offended by the material, the same could be said of other spoofs, which purposely border on the ridiculous. The Cookout (2004) is okay to rent, if you take if for what it is.You know, this would have been a good TV movie.

"The Cookout" might not be the best movie you can see, or the most sensitive to black people. Still, it is enjoyable. It stars rapper Storm P (aka Quran Pender) as Todd Anderson, a young, newly-drafted NBA star. He's just gotten a house in a New Jersey gated community, and his whole family is celebrating with a cookout. The humor here is over-the-top, as are several characters. Queen Latifah's security guard, for example. Other characters do manage to make laughs. Like Tim Meadows as Leroy, the conspiracy-obsessed paralegal, and Ja Rule and Roberto Vanderpool as Bling Bling and Weezer, the dimwitted hustlers. "The Cookout" may not be so nutritious, but it's fine for empty calories.

It's silly, it's obnoxious, it's predictable, it's mindless and I loved every frame! It's your basic young man who comes into money too soon and starts spending it (cause of an obnoxious climber of a girlfriend), much to the dismay of his mother. The fact that he has to seek an endorsement on the weekend of the family barbecue upsets the uptight girlfriend but that leaves the door open for the lovely Eve. Queen Latifah is marvelous, as is Jennifer Lewis (fabulous!) and all the other cast. Danny Glover is stunningly campy and Farrah Fawcett is still very funny. Jonathan Silverman is good but my favorite is Marci Reid, who plays the repressed Miss Peters and gets all the laughs the fish out of water should get! She holds her own with the rest of the cast and gets the big laughs.It's a funny movie. Check it out.