White Chicks

By FRANCESCA RUDKIN

(Herald rating: * * )

White Chicks is the latest comedy from the wacky Wayans family who brought us the Scary Movie flicks.

Keenan Ivory Wayans again directs his two bros, who have screenwriting and producer credits, but while it's nice to keep the work in the family the gags seem to have run dry.

In the first five minutes Shawn and Marlon show off their impersonation skills as they play a couple of music-loving elderly Latin American shopkeepers offering some good laughs and getting us into their comedy headspace of light cultural satire, slapstick gags and low humour.

Shawn and Marlon are in fact Marcus and Kevin, two lousy FBI agents who like to play the undercover renegade cop routine, without any success. To save their careers, they agree to look after the wealthy Wilton sisters who the FBI think are threatened with being kidnapped.

Tiffany and Brittany Wilton - based on the Hilton sisters - are heading to the Hamptons, where they hope to be the stars of the last social weekend of the season.

A car accident and a couple of tiny cuts later and the girls could not possibly show their faces in public. So Marcus and Kevin become the Wiltons - Michael Jackson would be jealous at the transformation.

Even though the makeup is good, it's not good enough to be convincing. That the sisters' friends believe the imposters, is the film's running gag but it sure runs thin.

Side stories such as Marcus' rocky marriage and Kevin's attempt to settle down don't offer many more laughs, although Terry Crews as Latrell Spencer, a super sexed up Afro-American pro-athlete on the look out for some nice white booty, delivers some memorable moments.

Otherwise, it's a load of absolute nonsense, as might be expected from the Wayans. But even by their own dubious standards, it's less than inspired.

CAST: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Jaime King, Terry Crews, Busy Philipps

DIRECTOR: Keenan Ivory Wayans

RUNNING TIME: 109 mins

RATING: M (violence,sexual references)

SCREENING: Village, Berkeley, Hoyts Cinemas