HOLLYWOOD—I walked into the theater to see “Meet the Blacks” with the lowest expectations and gosh was I ever right. The parody stars comedian Mike Epps as Carl Black, a man who moves his brood to Beverly Hills to escape the violent streets of Chicago. It soon becomes apparent for the viewer, that the forefront of the narrative is a play on the thriller “The Purge.”
I must say “The Purge” was perhaps one of the most unique and riveting flicks I’d seen in years, with a concept one could never imagine in a million years. “Meet the Blacks” takes that idea and throws comedy into the mix that doesn’t quite deliver as one would expect.
With any parody the goal is to poke fun and satirize major issues in America. Those things include race, social status, wealth, politics and a host of other things. For a flick loaded with so many comedians: Gary Owens, Lil Duval, George Lopez, Charlie Murphy, DeRay Davis and Michael Blackson, the laughs are HORRID!
I’ve never witnessed a movie that was so unfunny in my laugh. The talent pool of laughter should have audiences falling out of the theater seat. Instead, “Meet the Blacks” has you cringing so much in the theater seat as a spectator; you can’t wait for the non-comedy to end. I mean we have Lopez portraying President El Bama, yeah, go figure. Even sprinkles of pop icons like Perez Hilton, and Mike Tyson can’t save this movie, even though they do their best to try to make funny, funny.
That’s the problem with comedy people; when the laughs are forced the audience, the spectator will spot things from a mile away. The Black clan including Carl’s wife Lorena (Zulay Henao), find themselves doing all in their power to survive during the annual 12-hour purge; where all crime and the craziest antics you can expect are available.
Perhaps the biggest problem with “Meet the Blacks” is the script written by Deon Taylor and Nicole DeMasi. The laughs are just not there, and the actors attempt to do the best they can with shoddy material. Taylor, who also helms the camera, fails to take the direction of the spoof in a direction that makes it unique and a standout from the loads of other flicks we’ve seen.
I mean if you’re looking for a spoof that works you’re better watching “Scary Movie” or “A Haunted House.” “Meet the Blacks” will leave you wanting the money you spent and the time you lost back.
