Review of Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008) by Chads. — 10 Feb 2008

Just another crude and crass yu(c)k-fest starring alleged funny-man Martin Lawrence would be the knee-jerk reaction to "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins"; and yes, the Jenkins clan are indeed crude and crass, which gives creedence to the haters who dismiss contemporary African-American films as either being celluloid minstrel shows, or movies that a non-Black audience can't relate to.

But if you look beyond the rutting dogs and low-brow humor, "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" can be defended as a blaxploitation art film, because this reasonably entertaining comedy about a urban woman who discovers that her accomplished mate is really a country boy at heart, plays like a black "Junebug".

Bianca Kittles(Joy Bryant) might be supercilious, but being patronizing is far worse(like the Embeth Davidz character in the Phil Morrison charmer from 2005). Mo'Nique, who inhabits the Amy Adams role, pays no mind to Joy's curvy figure and sophistication; the junewhale receives no mentoring or condescending hugs(in "Junebug", Madeliene(Davidz) pats Ashley(Adams) on the back like a baby when they embrace) from the "Survivor"-winner, because she is proud of her full figure and rural background.

"Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins", because it is a broad comedy, doesn't really give Roscoe(Martin Lawrence) a reason to choose his family over Joy. Despite his success, he's still treated like the black sheep.

"Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" should've ended like "Junebug", but it doesn't. There's a change-of-heart; there's a U-turn.