Yes, MALIBU'S MOST WANTED is dumb and yes, it's a 15-minute skit stretched out to 80 minutes, but I have to admit it -- it is very funny. Subtle and sophisticated are not terms that belong anywhere near this movie, but I have to say that compared to the numbingly formulaic "black people teach white people about how much more there is to life" themes of recent films like Bringing Down the House and Head of State, this movie is more even-handed and generous-hearted. And unlike those other movies, it has enough confidence and respect for the audience to put some of its best jokes in throwaway lines instead of spotlighting them with everything but a drum roll.

The relationship between Diggs and Anderson's characters is deliciously loopy as they evaluate each others' performances in the midst of complete catastrophe. Snoop Dog makes a surprise appearance that only those who can recognize his voice will catch. And if the movie's final message is, "Be yourself, even if that self is a talentless poser whose appreciation of another culture is all-encompassing," at least that message is kind of sweet.