Underclassman

The only audience that may find this pulp palatable would be perhaps 8th graders. All whites are: sloppy, fat, rude, vulgar, crooks, and stupid. People of color are going to: 1) save the world, 2) run the world, 3) help white people not be so lame, 4) help white people be better people, and 5) help white people play basketball. The script must have been written by the same author of the "Midnight Basketball" federal program.

This movie is so horrible that an Ed Wood movie is wonderful by comparison. The continual racist play is topped with additional comments, such as: "chocolate has more flavor than vanilla" - even though the recipe called for vanilla.

Besides the weakness of the script, directing, editing, and acting there is ... oh, there is nothing else. This movie is insulting on all levels and could only appeal to the black ku klux klan - move over "Birth of a Nation" you have a new contender for top racist movie ever made. 1/10 (Because IMDb.com doesn't allow negative scores.)

-Zafoid

Nick Cannon is not exactly the kind of person I'd send undercover to an exclusive prep school if I wanted to solve a murder and bust up some illegal activities going on there, still he does get the job done in Underclassman.

Sad to say that this film could not make up its mind whether it was a serious drama or a satire of such things as Mod Squad and 21 Jump Street. There was potential here for this to be a really funny comedy, but it just isn't realized.

Nick Cannon, Cheech Marin who plays his captain and the rest of the cast really give this one a try, but the aimless script and direction defeats them. When we find the identity of the perpetrator behind all the bad stuff it should have been a lot funnier than it was.

For fans of Nick Cannon only.

Tracy "Trey" Stokes is a twenty-three-year-old undercover cop, who, after his latest his escape lands him in hot water, must attend the wealthy private school Westbury Academy to investigate the death of a student. Trey immerses himself in the environment quite awkwardly, bringing looser, unrestricted elements of coolness to the school, while everyone around him operates with a sense of incorruptible seriousness. Trey befriends Rob Donovan (Shawn Ashmore), and begins to uncover more illegal actions on campus, this time involving stolen vehicles at parties. Now, Trey must rely on his street-smart ways and quick-witted senses to prove to his superior officer (Cheech Marin) he is indeed capable of handling tough, rugged crime sprees and doesn't become crushed under pressure.

Trey is played by Nick Cannon, the once wildly popular teen-star, famous for his many appearances on MTV shows, discography, among several other endeavors. Underclassman was the pitiful and lackluster attempt to continue Cannon's long-running success with the Television medium, and functions as one of those subpar star-vehicles we were used to watching in the nineties. Cannon isn't a contemptible screen-presence, but a manufactured one, spouting lingo we are supposed to perceive is cool because he says it in a time where formality is required.

Not to mention, he functions in a role that has been dominated by superior talent. Without even hesitating, Cannon's Trey brings to mind Axel Foley from Beverly Hills Cop and the young teenagers of the TV series 21 Jump Street. Between these two examples, it already brings to mind the more intriguing and thoughtful things that were done to the rebellious, undercover cop character than how it has been cut and pasted into a film erected more off of clichés and action set pieces than anything else. Admittedly, the opening sequence is fun to watch, showing an energetic Cannon attempt to stop a van of drug-dealers by chasing them through the beaches of Malibu on an all-terrain vehicle. This scene, as derivative as it is, is entertaining because of its clear direction and reason; it is photographed and illustrated clearly, thanks to director Marcos Siega, and doesn't feel gratuitous.

The remaining ninety-five minutes of Underclassman, however, feel much too gratuitous, stockpiled with clichés, emphasizing action and sloganeering over any reasonable character development, and monotonous all the more. Cannon may possess the ability to dazzle with his goofiness and his over-the-top actions, but, given such a mediocre script and a redundant, familiar plot line, has little to exercise within the confines of the writing. In addition, the personality is all in the action sequences, leaving the characters without a trait of identifiable humanity. Given the film's incredibly low gross and the poor critical reception, it just seems that nobody bought what Underclassman was selling and Nick Cannon, who proved to be immensely talented in his earlier picture Drumline, suffered as a result.

Starring: Nick Cannon, Shawn Ashmore, Roselyn Sánchez, Kelly Hu, Hugh Bonneville, and Cheech Marin. Directed by: Marcos Siega.

From Miramax, the company that brought you Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and Good Will Hunting, comes Underclassman. To quote a classic Sesame Street song, "Which of these things is not like the other, which of these things does not belong?" The answer is – Underclassman. Why did they make this movie? I don't know who Nick Cannon is, I don't know what he does, but he must have some powerful connections (or be a Freemason) for Miramax to allow him to write, star, and executive produce this hackneyed piece of over-used Hollywood clichés. Cannon plays a young and reckless rookie cop who goes undercover as a high school senior to catch a murderer in an affluent (think Westlake High) white high school. Prepare yourself for a deep sociological study of the differences between black and white people…not really.

Instead, prepare for the inevitable warehouse bust, car chase down busy highway, boat chase, and hostage situation with the woman he loves. The only funny line in the film is when the dorky white guy gets rejected by two hot chicks and says, "They probably had herpes anyways." That was funny. Nothing else was.

Feel a little sorry that Cheech he had to do this one.

Nick Cannon has got to be one of the worst actors possible. I can finally take Pauly Shore off the bottom rung.

I had this on and mostly just looked up periodically for the bad acting and terrible script.

Somebody owed someone a favor to fund this one!!