Uncle P DVD Review

by Kam Williams

Art Imitates Life in Master P Family Comedy on DVD

When Master P's (Percy Miller) sister, Bertha (Ella Joyce), suddenly falls ill and lands in the hospital, the hip-hop icon puts asides his differences with the sibling he's been estranged from for years and moves to California to care for the single-mom's three children, teenagers Tammy (Mercedeh Allen) and Corey (Romeo Miller), and their little sister, Lindsey (Rachelle Clark). The kids are surprised to learn that their uncle is the famous rap star/business mogul, but they have no problem adapting to his limo and some of the other perks which arrive along with him.

The same can't be said of P, who finds himself suddenly flummoxed by the role of surrogate father. For the first time in his life, the bachelor has to deal with all the mundane duties of middle-class suburbia, like shopping in the supermarket, protecting the virtue of his dating-age niece, changing the pajamas and sheets for a bedwetting five year-old, and helping his nephew deal with bullies.

Meanwhile, P has a girlfriend (Mari Morrow) who is getting increasingly impatient with his playing Mr. Mom. This rapper-out-of-water plotline creates endless opportunities for humor in Uncle P, a well-intentioned family flick directed by Bernard Gourley.

This straight-to-video production is marked by as many hits as misses when it comes to jokes, with as many falling flat as eliciting a laugh. It is telling when an African-American comedy's most hilarious scene involves an Asian (Dr. Ken Jeong) doing a black impression.

Still, since the movie certainly has its heart in the right place, it earns a little extra credit for keeping clean while delivering a heartwarming message. Recommended, not for the yucks, but just because it relates a touching tale about a brother who doesn't let success go to his head and never forgets where he came from.

Good (2 stars)
Rated PG-13 for mature themes, sensuality, drug references and mild adult language.
Running time: 88 minutes
Studio: New Line Home Entertainment