Queen Latifah has been one of Hip Hop’s veteran talents building her rep on talking about self respect, black power, and respect for the ladies with the usual having a good time talk.

After her success on the small screen with comedy series: Living Single, the Queen made the jump to the big screen with roles in accessory roles in Juice, and last years critically acclaimed Chicago where she received an Academy Award nomination.

Now she steps in the chair as Executive Producer and lead actress in the comedy hit Bringing Down The House with co-star Steve Martin.

The family story based in California, is about attorney Peter Sanderson, a cut and dry, divorced man who can’t find time to get with his ex-wife nor any other women in person, so he looks on the internet and develops a relationship with Charlene on the chat circuit. Charlene turns out to be Lafitah’s character who just got out of prison and wants Peter to help her clear her name. In the process Peter’s name get thrown in the mud and Peter may need Charlene to help him in turn.

The movie takes you through their adventure, which includes Peter socializing in a Hip Hop club and Charlene fighting in a store. Meanwhile Peter is trying to be involved in his kid’s life and still secretly pines for his ex-wife played by former
Designing Women star Jean Smart.

The movie is a great light comedy with little violence, sexual, and drug material, and can keep you entertained for the entire movie. Latifah and Martin show great chemistry, and the movie deals with perception and reality, between sexes, races, young and old. Eugene Levy (of American Pie fame) plays Martin’s lawyer friend and pines for Charlene to the point he’s speaking a different “language” for her (You got me straight trippin, boo!) He’s hilarious as well the rest of the cast.

The DVD includes deleted scenes, gag reel, a behind the scenes featurette, Queen Latifah’s video for Better Than The Rest, a sarcastic featurette “The Godfather of Hop” which pokes fun at Eugene Levy, and Da Commentary with director Adam Shankman, and writer Jason Filardi. They are a nice extra bonus.

I’ll give the DVD 4 globes, the main downfall being it seemed once you were finally getting involved in the movie it was the last 30 minutes and the story was coming to the end. It could have been longer in developing the plot and in the bridge between the beginning and the end. It would have been fun to see Latifah, Martin, and Levy cracks more jokes and pranks. Also Jean Smart could have been used more often especially with Latifah’s character.

Overall though it was a good movie with an excellent theme for the family looking to go out or stay in for a good flick.

Suggestions, comments, questions feel free to drop me a line at clayton@geoclan.com. One!