Cast: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jada Pinkett, Andrew Divoff, Charles Dutton, Salli Richardson, Corwin Hawkins
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans
Producers: Joe Roth and Roger Birnbaum
Screenplay: Keenen Ivory Wayans
Cinematography: Matthew F. Leonetti
Music: Marcus Miller
U.S. Distributor: Caravan Pictures
It's easy -- far too easy -- to use the title of Keenen Ivory Wayans' latest movie as a description. Unfortunately, it's also accurate. A Low Down, Dirty Shame is just that -- and a waste of good film stock, as well. In the best tradition of such failed action/comedies as The Last Boyscout (which featured another Wayans), this production offers a lot of dumb, formula action, and not a great deal more.
On those few occasions when Shame lampoons the action genre instead of conforming to its trends, the film is palatable, and, in at least one instance, funny (when our hero sings a James Brown tune to keep a group of salivating dogs at bay). Most of the time, however, the movie gives up all attempts at originality and creativity, opting instead to be a depressingly routine shoot-'em- up. The result is a large number of scenes that are loud, violent, messy, and not very exciting.
Perhaps it seems like a contradiction to call an action film boring, but that's exactly what A Low Down, Dirty Shame is. The explosions, fight scenes, and shootouts are staged in a workman-like and perfunctory fashion. The cardboard cut-out drug dealer types are villains repeatedly relied upon in the genre -- not that any of the good guys are more memorable or interesting.
Andrew Shame (Wayans) is an ex-cop who was kicked off the force after a drug bust in Mexico went bad. Now, he spends his time as a private investigator doing suicide jobs to keep the bills paid. His assistant, Peaches (Jada Pinkett), stays with him despite his financial woes, but Shame is too blind to recognize that she's mad about him. When DEA agent and old friend Sonny Rothmiller (Charles S. Dutton) shows up with a missing persons job for Shame, the PI is delighted, until he learns the catch. The subject of Rothmiller's quarry is a femme fatale named Angela (Salli Richardson), an old flame of Shame's and the ex-girlfriend of his arch-enemy, Mendoza (Andrew Divoff), a supposedly-dead drug dealer who turns out to be very much alive.
A Low Down, Dirty Shame isn't helped by a number of uninspired performances. Andrew Divoff's villain is as flat as Wayans' hero. Salli Richardson shows no depth whatsoever, and Charles S. Dutton, often known for bringing life to insignificant roles, makes nothing out of nothing. Corwin Hawkins' gay caricature might be at home on In Living Color, but he's completely out of place (not to mention actively annoying) in this picture. In fact, the only one to show any life or ability is Jada Pinkett, whose spunk almost rescues a few scenes.
Even the most devout fan of brainless action films will find little to admire about A Low Down, Dirty Shame. With non-actors like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal, this sort of bankrupt entertainment is almost requisite, but Wayans has shown enough flair in the past that we have come to expect better of him. So it's rather a depressing prospect to realize that even bad Van Damme is frequently more fun than this grueling one-hundred minutes.
© 1994 James Berardinelli