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Media Credit: Provided Media

Devin Vaughn

Daily Egyptian

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Martin Lawrence, James Earl Jones, Cedric the Entertainer, Michael Clarke Duncan, Mike Epps, Mo'Nique

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee

Runtime: 114 min

1 out of 5 stars

Good intentions only get a person so much, and they get a film even less.

"Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" has its heart in the right place, championing family values and staying true to one's roots, but everything else gets lost along the way, and the audience is stuck with a generic storyline and stereotypes in the place of characters.

Roscoe Jenkins (Martin Lawrence) is an up-and-coming daytime talk show host who returns home with his uppity fiancé after a 9-year absence to attend his parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Comedic antics ensue as reuniting with his family proves to be tough as old insecurities and rivalries return, forcing Roscoe to reevaluate his life and the kind of man he wishes to be.

"Jenkins" offers nothing new or unexpected. Once all of the characters are introduced, it is clear what is going to happen, and it doesn't help matters that writer-director Malcolm D. Lee strives to rid his film of all forms of subtlety.

In the film's exposition (which seems to account for half its running time), the audience learns just how big of a deal Roscoe is supposed to be. His fiancé boasts, "He's a star," to which everyone nods, and another man adds, "He's a superstar," and later "You're the talk of the town." Clearly, in Lee's mind, it is better to flatly state who or what a character is, as opposed to showing it.

And shortly thereafter, while en route to the Jenkins homestead, Roscoe's son reads aloud the itinerary for the anniversary celebration, gushing over all of the scheduled events and leaving no doubt in the audience's mind that it has just heard the plot outline for the rest of the movie.

Lee also does not encourage his actors to play their roles with anything resembling delicacy. Half the time they are mugging for the camera and shouting. In fact, Lawrence's antics are so played-up and over the top they are capable of being seen from outer space -- but I suppose it is impressive on some level to witness Lawrence achieve something only previously accomplished by the Great Wall of China.

Interestingly enough, Malcolm D. Lee is a younger cousin of acclaimed director Spike Lee ("Do the Right Thing," "Malcolm X," "Inside Man," etc.). More entertaining than watching the Jenkins reunion would be watching the Lee reunion. One can only imagine, but I'm pretty sure it would be less warm-hearted and would involve more cringing (at least on Spike's part).

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