Malibu’s Most Wanted

• Directed by John Whitesell
• April 18, 2003

In an effort to change his son’s behavior, a wealthy California gubernatorial candidate hires two stage actors to scare his child into a different way of acting.

Malibu’s Most Wanted is an underrated comedy starring Jamie Kennedy as Brad “B-Rad G” Gluckman who is the sheltered and indulged child of wealthy parents-one of whom is running for the governor of California. He and his friends are entranced by the “thug life” but are as isolated from that as can be.

B-Rad and his friends attempt to be all bad ass and gangsta while living around some of the richest real estate in the nation. The movie itself begins with narration one would find in a slice of life urban set movie but with the narration is coupled with images that are the opposite of what you would expect. This sets up the execution of the rest of the story.

While this is a parody of 8 Mile, what it also does is poke fun at the ideas there are people that others think put on an act but rather what they are doing is a genuine part of their personality. B-Rad and his friends do what they do not because they are posers but rather it is who they are and people need to realize that.

Despite appearances on the surface, this is a much smarter script than one would give it credit for. I’m not saying it’s an unrecognized masterpiece but in it is rather well-crafted. It’s a comedy that manages to make some witty observations and intelligent commentary while going against your expectations yet not feeling forced at all. 

The gangstas that they present here are much more sophisticated than one would normally encounter in movies and the two actors, Sean as “Bloodbath” (Taye Diggs) and PJ as “Tree” (Anthony Anderson), hired to fake his kidnapping act more stereotypically white than the Caucasians of the film. As with most things in life the best laid plans go awry and B-Rad is kidnapped for real. Then things go genuinely off the rails.

This explores cultural expectations and how individuals are expected to act within that culture. It also touches on how Hollywood or just the entertainment industry in general expects one group to act over another. Just because you are from a certain place or of a certain race does not mean you must talk or act a certain way.

The main problem with Malibu’s Most Wanted is it aims too much to be silly. I’m not saying you cannot get genuine laughs out of the idea, which this does, but it certainly should’ve focused more on commentary rather than just being a comedy. It would’ve been a difficult balancing act, but I think it could’ve been done where this not only was a funny comedy but also a good bit of commentary.

Everything is presented in a very goofy fashion. There’s a level of absurdity to it all and those involved realize just how absurd their situation is. I’m talking about the characters. They’re just at their wits end.

Having said all that Malibu’s Most Wanted is an entertaining and funny film that will twist your expectations in unexpected ways. It is a good bit of filmmaking that does not get the love it quite deserves. It’s worth taking a look at not only for a good laugh but for a little bit of commentary. I definitely recommend this one! Search it out indeed!