New U.S. Release

Who's Your Caddy?

By JOE LEYDON

Chase Tatum, left, Faizon Love, Antwan ``Big Boi'' Andre Patton and Finesse Mitchell wage war on a snooty country club in 'Who's Your Caddy?'

An MGM release of an Our Stories Film and Dimension Films presentation of a Rifkin-Eberts/Kia Jam production in association with Eleven Eleven Films. Produced by Tracey E. Edmonds, Christopher Eberts, Arnold Rifkin, Jam. Executive producers, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Shakim Compere, Ross M. Dinerstein, Queen Latifah, Marvin Peart, Chris Roberts, Bobby Schwartz. Co-producer, John Duffy. Co-executive producer, Damon Lee, Michael McQuarn. Directed by Don Michael Paul. Screenplay, Paul, Bradley Allenstein, Robert Henny.
 
C-Note - Antwan "Big Boi" Andre Patton
Cummings - Jeffrey Jones
Shannon Williams - Tamala Jones
Lady G - Sherri Shepherd
Big Large - Faizon Love
Dread - Finesse Mitchell
The Reverend - Garrett Morris
Big Willy Johnson - Tony Cox
Mick - Cam Gigandet
Kidd Clean - Chase Tatum
Mrs. Hawkins - Jennifer Lewis
Mrs. Cummings - Susan Ward
 

A subpar attempt to bring a hip-hop twist to "Caddyshack"-style slobs-versus-snobs comedy, "Who's Your Caddy?" is an instantly forgettable trifle that will play a quick round through theatrical courses before landing in vidstore sandtraps. Although he was seen to much better advantage alongside fellow Outkast artist Andre Benjamin in the criminally underrated "Idlewild," Antwan Andre Patton (aka Big Boi) makes an agreeable impression as a rap mogul who purposefully gatecrashes a South Carolina country club. But the next time he goes looking for a star vehicle, he would be well-advised to steer clear of rattletrap jalopies such as this one.

Patton plays a flashy playa known as C-Note, gangsta rapper extraordinaire. Actually, his bad-guy rep is something of a pose -- his real name is Christopher Hawkins, he's a Dartmouth graduate and his middle-class mother (Jennifer Lewis) isn't impressed by his posing -- but C-Note is just tough enough to settle an old score with Cummings (Jeffrey Jones), the condescending, snooty (and conspicuously Caucasian) president of the Carolina Pines Golf and Polo Club.

Years earlier, Cummings fired C-Note's father, a longtime caddy at the club, when the elder Mr. Hawkins dared to break Cummings' golf course record. Now C-Note is back with a vengeance: He purchases an adjoining mansion, lays claim to land near the 17th hole and demands club membership in return for not shooting racy musicvideos on the fairway.

Cummings is, of course, furious. But even with the help of ace lawyer Shannon Williams (Tamala Jones), a crafty and curvy litigator who quickly falls for C-Note, the club president can't avoid opening his exclusive club to C-Note and his outrageous posse.

Working from a none-too-innovative script he co-wrote with Bradley Allenstein and Robert Henny, helmer Don Michael Paul ("Half Past Dead") alternates between low comedy and sappy sentiment, trafficking in rude gags (rest assured, crotches are pummeled and gas is passed) and tired stereotypes. C-Note counts among his entourage such familiar figures as the sassy-and-zaftig spitfire (Sherri Shepherd), the mild-and-hazy pot-smoker (Finesse Mitchell) and, of course, the bald-and-beefy sex machine (Faizon Love).

On the other side of the color line, there is Cummings' hot-and-bothered wife (Susan Ward), who's immediately aroused when she takes a look at the bald-and-beefy sex machine, and a mincing real-estate agent (Todd Sherry), who tries hard to be hip with hip-hop slanguage.

Performances range from no better than they have to be to worse than they should have been. Production values are as unremarkable as the screenplay.

Camera (FotoKem color), Thomas Callaway; editor, Vanick Moradian; music, Jon Lee; music supervisor, Michael McQuarn; production designer, Paul Jackson; costume designer, Jayme Bohn; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS), Carl Rudisill; associate producers, Nicole Haeussermann, Shelia Kerrigan; assistant director, Richard Schor; casting, Jeff Gerrard. Reviewed at Cinemark Tinseltown Westchase, Houston, July 27, 2007. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 92 MIN.
 

With: Todd Sherry.