Parents' Guide to Lottery Ticket

Produced by Ice Cube -- who also plays the hermit of the projects, Mr. Washington -- this comedy will make you laugh. But most of the laughter will be accompanied by eye-rolling, since much of the movie's humor is based on stereotypes -- i.e. poking fun at the flamboyant preacher, the sneaker-obsessed criminals, the gorgeous baby mama looking for the next celebrity to seduce. Kevin is talented (he hopes to start a sneaker-design company) but not ambitious. And it never once occurs to him to let the media know that he has the winning ticket. With just one call to reporters, he would've saved himself three days of grief -- and pain. Instead, he seeks counsel from an "entourage" that encourages him to take out a huge six-figure loan from Sweet Tee (Keith David), the self-styled "Godfather of the Projects." With cash in hand, Kevin goes on a ridiculous spending spree, ignoring Stacie, his practical and smart friend, in order to take the neighborhood social climber on a date. Even a child could see who Kevin will end up with in the end.

Although LOTTERY TICKET's plot is predictable, some of the performances are entertaining enough. David, with his buttery voice and stately manner, could say the lamest line and infuse it with class -- he's just that good. Jackson, an adept comedian, is well cast as the best friend, as is Devine as the overjoyed, devout Grandma and Murphy as the bug-eyed gossip. The scene-stealer, however, is Akinnagbe -- who fans of The Wire will recognize as assassin Chris Partlow. His menacing looks -- and the way he says "squeeze" -- may make you shiver in disgust and fright. Still, a few decent performances can't raise this comedy to the level of Cube's signature Barbershop.