‘Dinner’ remake not as satisfying

The new comedy “Guess Who” is a loose remake of the landmark 1967

drama “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” starring Spencer Tracy and

Katharine Hepburn. In the original, a young white woman brings home

her fiance, Sidney Poitier, to meet her parents. The film was

memorable for daring to tackle the subject of interracial romance,

even within the restricted confines of the 1960’s.

Thirty-eight years later, the concept has been reversed but the

treatment is even more tame: Theresa (Zoe Saldana) brings fiance

Simon (Ashton Kutcher) home to meet her parents, Percy and Marilyn

(Bernie Mac and Judith Scott). She doesn’t tell her folks before hand

that Simon is white “because it doesn’t matter.”

But of course, to some people, it does matter. To Percy, any boy

his daughter brings home is subject to intense scrutiny. Indeed, he

has already run a credit check on Simon and finds out he has suddenly

quit his job as a stock trader. The fact that Simon hasn’t told his

fiance makes him even more doubtful that this man is worthy of his

baby girl.

“Guess Who” could have been so much more than just a mishmash of

bits borrowed from other films, especially “Meet the Parents.” In

spite of a couple of edgy scenes, the story conflict never rises

above the level of a sitcom -- no tough issues that couldn’t be

resolved in half an hour and the requisite cheesy ending.

The movie’s biggest asset is Bernie Mac, in the Spencer Tracy

role. A gifted comedian, his perpetual scowl and barely reined-in

temper make him perfect as a man whose future son-in-law is wearing

out his last nerve. The other characters are bland and

one-dimensional by comparison.

As far as charisma and acting skills go, Ashton Kutcher is

certainly no Sidney Poitier, and it’s hard to imagine him as a Wall

Street player. It would have been more interesting to make a movie

re-creating the dinner when real-life sweetheart Demi Moore

introduced him to her family.

* SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant

for a financial services company.

‘MISS CONGENIALITY 2’ TO

VIE FOR WORST-FILM AWARD

John Pasquin has spent 30 years directing sitcoms with laugh

tracks on TV. His credits include episodes of “Family Ties,”

“Roseanne” and “Home Improvement.” So it’s no surprise that “Miss

Congeniality 2” has the same kind of made-for-TV look and feel that

you expect to find in reruns of old sitcoms. It has a few worthwhile

moments, but ends up being absurd, tiresome and pointless.

These flaws would be tolerable if the movie was actually funny.

But laughs are so few and far between you might fall asleep waiting

for them to appear.

Sandra Bullock does bring a sense of verve and style to her role.

But the relentless silliness of FBI agents masquerading as beauty

pageant contestants and female impersonators offends normal

intelligence. The ability to find this ridiculous screenplay remotely

amusing is seriously impaired

You know you’re watching a B-Movie when the co-star is puffy-faced

William Shatner, and the celebrity cameos are Regis Philbin and Dolly

Parton.

This film is yet another disappointing sequel, full of lame

dialogue and second-rate humor. Terminal boredom will set in long

before the two-hour running time is up. This may not be the worst

movie of the year, but it holds the temporary title until something

more brainless and unnecessary comes along.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County public defender’s office.