# Bait (2000)

### reviewed by
Rose 'Bams' Cooper

    '3BlackChicks Review...'

BAIT (2000) Rated R; running time 119 minutes Genre: Comedy IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0211938 Official site: http://www.baitmovie.com/ Written by: Tony Gilroy, Adam Scheinman, Andrew Scheinman Directed by: Antoine Fuqua Cast: Jamie Foxx, David Morse, Doug Hutchison, Kimberly Elise, Mike Epps, Robert Pastorelli, David Paymer (Wally), Jamie Kennedy (Blum), Nestor Serrano (Boyle), Kirk Acevedo (Ramundo), Jeffrey Donovan (Julio), Megan Dodds (Walsh), Tia Texada (Tika)

Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2000 Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/bamsbait.html

    Well, that didn't Stink.

The Story (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**): Bristol (Doug Hutchinson), a Weird Compugeek with a sadistic streak, along with his bumbling partner Jaster (Robert Pastorelli), steals $42 million in gold from a Manhattan gold reserve, and in the process Bristol kills two guards, causing Jaster to wig out (with the obligatory "you said no guns!" cliche) and leave Bristol to fend for himself. At the same time, petty thief Alvin Sanders (Jamie Foxx) and his brother Stevie (Mike Epps) plan to break into a shrimp...er, prawn factory in Brooklyn. Alvin is, of course, caught by the cops, and just happens to bunk with the also-caught Jaster, who may have told Alvin a lil' sum'n sum'n about where the gold is hidden before Jaster leaves his cell.

At least Treasury Agent Edgar Clenteen (David Morse) thinks so; and with the aid of (completely unconvincing and unintentionally-humorously overblown) Modern Technology, sets up Alvin as live bait to reel in Bristol by "leaking" info through The Internet that Alvin knows where the gold is - unbeknownst to Alvin, who wants to go straight to win back the love and respect of his girlfriend Lisa (Kimberly Elise).

There's Other Stuff, but you get the picture, eh?

The Upshot: Sometimes, "that didn't Stink" is the best you can say about a flick; and in the case of BAIT - which, admittedly, I didn't hold much hope for from jump - that's enough for a middle-of-the-road yellowlight rating. All that to say, this'll be a fairly short review.

The sillyness of the setup itself (Weird Compugeek Plots Revenge On Feds By Offing Those Who Stand In His Way While Tough Cop Grimaces And Unknowing Clown Clowns), the too-long by thirty minutes length of BAIT (which reminds me, it was obviously cut: one scene shown in all the trailers I saw on TV, where Alvin humorously confronted his unknowing mother when he breaks into her house, was inexplicably cut out. And the movie still weighed in at a top-heavy two hours long), the wifflebattedness of David Morse's hardnose cop character, the cheesy, tired, wanna-be-a-playa clowning by Jaime Foxx and Mike Epps - all these things conspired to completely underwhelm me. And, apparently, the rest of the American movie public, as witnessed by the anemic box office draw ($5.3 million) of BAIT in its opening weekend. I'll put it this way: as much as I love David Morse as an actor, I'd really rather just forget his role in this movie. For that matter, I'd really rather just forget this movie.

About the only surprise was seeing Kimberly Elise. I cannot explain why, but I was expecting to see a light-skinned actress playing Alvin's neglected girlfriend; and when Elise opened the door, I got a pleasant shock. Indeed, Elise was the best thing about this whole flick to me, and I kept watching simply for her sake. Well, her, and that fine brother who played the unnamed Federal agent.

[I'd normally explain the significance of light/dark skin in The "Black Factor", but for some reason, I just can't be arsed to care enough about this flick to do so. For your further edification, fast-forward to the Jigaboo/Wannabe sequence in Spike Lee's SCHOOL DAZE].

Bammer's Bottom Line: Jaime Foxx failed to cash in on his outstanding performance in 1999's ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, David Morse pushed the Tough Cop buttons too hard, his THE GREEN MILE co-star, Doug Hutchinson, played Weird to little effect...all around, BAIT just failed to hook me.

BAIT (rating: yellowlight): Not exactly Stinky Bait, but it certainly wasn't very fresh.

    Rose "Bams" Cooper                            /~\
    Webchick and Editor,                         /','\
    3BlackChicks Review                         /','`'\
    Movie Reviews With Flava!                  /',',','/`,
    Copyright Rose Cooper, 2000                `~-._'c    /
    EMAIL: bams@3blackchicks.com                    `\   (
    http://www.3blackchicks.com/                     /====\

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