B-Rad G., a.k.a. Brad Gluckman (Jamie Kennedy), is a hardcore rapper from the toughest streets there are -- the pricey streets of Malibu. “The public be all up on your private beach!” complains our hero, a rich kid who has embraced the baggy-pants, slang-speaking lifestyle promoted by his rapper heroes. B-Rad tries hard to be like them, but his lyrics cause more pain to the ears than they do pleasure.

After one such impromptu concert, B-Rad’s father, Bill (Ryan O’Neal), decides to put a stop to his son’s behavior before it ruins his chances of being elected governor of California. Bill’s campaign manager (Blair Underwood) hires two educated actors (Taye Diggs and Anthony Anderson) to play “real gangstas,” kidnap Brad, and show him what the real ghetto is like. But it’s the performers who end up learning a thing or two, about how B-Rad is the way he is because…well, that’s who he is.

In the wake of the offensive Bringing Down the House, I wasn’t ready for another comedy where a dorky white guy acts black. That schtick wore out a number of years ago, but it's an idea the studios revisit every time they’re running low on cash. Imagine my surprise when Malibu’s Most Wanted turned out to be a comedy with a satirical side and a fresh supply of parody ammunition. Director John Whitesell and his four screenwriters (among them Jamie Kennedy himself) have an agenda and solid blueprints of what they’re going to make fun of and how they’re going to do it effectively. 

Malibu’s Most Wanted, obviously a parody of Eminem and suburban white kids living the life of a gangsta, has as much love for its characters as it does the ability to point and laugh. B-Rad is presented as a character with two sides. On one hand, we see an earnest guy, a kid who believes in living life the way he wants and reaching for his lofty goals. On the other, we see a no-good Enimem wannabe with horrid rap lyrics who learns the hard way "Thou shalt not use the 'N' word at a rap battle." Though the writing isn’t always as consistent or sharp as it could be, Malibu’s Most Wanted lets viewers know it's nothing but a satire from the very first frame. 

Kennedy, best known as Randy from the Scream movies, gives an appealing performance as Brad/B-Rad. He exudes an energy that carries him through tired bits like a Training Day spoof. Taye Diggs and Anthony Anderson are hilarious trying to act like Boyz N the Hood extras with fake guns, very pronounced slang, and, in Diggs’s case, a wig that just doesn’t work. Sometimes I think Malibu would’ve been better if these guys were the stars and Kennedy’s B-Rad a supporting character. Regina Hall (Scary Movie) does a solid job as Anderson’s cousin, the closest the pair have to someone living in the ghetto, who serves as B-Rad’s love interest. I also liked B-Rad’s crew of fellow posers, who try to rescue their friend from a gang by bringing an ancient musket and a harpoon to the fight. O’Neal is rather flat, though, and Bo Derek, as B-Rad’s mom, is conspicuously absent for all but two seconds of the movie. Blair Underwood's role as the scheming campaign manager is a step up from his work in the pretentious Full Frontal.

I can't give Malibu's Most Wanted my unqualified recommendation because it contains some fairly lengthy stretches between the really good jokes as well as an abundance of listless or bored performances from a few supporting cast members. Still, I believe this movie is wittier, funnier, and much better than Bringing Down the House. 

MY RATING: ** ½ (out of ****)

(Review also posted at www.ajhakari.com.)