Freshman scenarist Nicole DeMasi and "Supremacy" director Deon Taylor do an adequate job of sending up the vigilante franchise of "The Purge" movies with their parody "Meet the Blacks," starring Mike Epps, Mike Tyson, and George Lopez. Mike Epps plays Carl Black, a wiring installation expert from Chicago, who steals an African-American gangsta's cash and stash and then moves his family out to live in a mansion in Beverly Hills. Clearly, Demasi and Taylor must have been thinking of vintage CBS-TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies" when they came up with his adaptation. It seems that Carl was in a gangsta's house when the police raided and arrested Key Flo (Charlie Murphy of "Norbit") and he got away not only undetected but also with Flo's dough. Initially, the black security guard refuses to let Carl drive onto the premises, but he relents when Carl threatens him. Carl has moved to Los Angeles with his new Latino wife Lorena (Zulay Henao of "Takers"), his teenage daughter Allie (Bresha Webb of "Ride Along 2"), his son Carl Junior (Alex Henderson of "Creed"), and former prison inmate Cronut (Li Duval of "Scary Movie 5"). What none of Carl's family know is that Carl stole the cash from Key Flo. Furthermore, just about everybody that Carl cheated in Chicago has migrated to Los Angeles to exact what he owes them. The punchline of "Meet the Blacks" is Carl gets off scot-free because when they break into his mansion, they do it on Purge night. Mind you, Carl has no idea what The Purge is all about despite what he learns from his family so he believes that he is safely tucked away in Beverly Hills and nobody will find him. Mike Epps is at his hilarious best as Carl Black, but legendary heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson looks and sounds like a buffoon. This lowest common denominator comedy has a few laughs, and you can count them on one hand. Nevertheless, the set-up and the execution is adequately done. The Nicole DeMasi & Deon Taylor screenplay will keep you smiling with its clichés about African-Americans in Beverly Hills and traditional slang-riddled dialogue. George Lopez has a clever cameo as a Hispanic U.S. President with the punny name El Bama. Of course, "Meet the Blacks" could have been far funnier, but it isn't too embarrassing as knock-offs go.
Review of Meet the Blacks
