Just when the world expects the general to announce his candidacy, he throws everyone a curve by announcing his intention of serving his country by opening a chain a fried-chicken restaurants. The film boasts a strong enough premise - Undercover Brother must stop The Man from destroying the presidential campaign of a retired black general (think Colin Powell with style, or in this case, Billy Dee Williams). It’s odds on that he’s based in part on Chris Rock’s Chakka Luther King in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but he’s no less funny for it. There’s nothing this guy can’t find a conspiracy in and nothing you can say to him that he can’t turn into an imagined insult. Chappelle’s Conspiracy Brother is always running with the film - and running his mouth. As a result, Griffin spends so much of Undercover Brother having to be cool (with the odd outburst of comedic cowardice) and rarely gets the chance to run with the film. It’s not so much Griffin’s fault as it’s the fault of a concept that constrains him into the character of Undercover Brother, who’s kind of like a comedic version of Richard Roundtree’s Shaft wearing Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs’ hair from Welcome Back, Kotter. In fact, David Chappelle’s ( Screwed) performance as Conspiracy Brother wipes Griffin - and everybody else - offscreen whenever he appears. Eddie Griffin, who was so much better than the films that encased him with John Q and The New Guy, is certainly likable enough here, but he rarely lets loose with the kind of manic talent he evidenced in those supporting roles. (You know a movie’s up on its spy flick history when you start spotting nods to Our Man Flint and the Matt Helm series.) What it strangely isn’t is very funny. It’s also an extremely clever film, deftly riffing on every Blaxploitation and spy film you can imagine. It’s for bits and pieces like this that Undercover Brother is most noteworthy. in a moment of excitement in Eddie Griffin’s first starring vehicle. “This is a great day for black people of all races!” announces The Chief (Chi McBride, Gone in Sixty Seconds) of the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. They say this cat, Undercover Brother is a bad mother … sorry, I was having an Isaac Hayes moment, but that’s exactly the sort of thing you can expect after seeing Undercover Brother.