Some people just may not be who we think they are. In Code Name: The Cleaner, someone whom many recognize as a toiler cleaner believes that he’s an undercover agent who’s been assigned the task of cleaning up more important things.
The opening is nice. A fat, funny man (Cedric the Entertainer) wakes up one fine morning in a swank hotel room suffering from partial amnesia, and discovers that he’s an FBI agent with a sexy wife and a sexier girlfriend. What he simply cannot figure out, though, is why there’s a dead body next to him in bed along with a suitcase of cash.
The good thing about not remembering a thing is that life can be very good. Until, that is, some people come along and inject a syringe into you to force the truth out. The bad thing is that a lot of people whom you don’t remember, remember a lot of things about you, and some of these things don’t sound too good.
Cedric the Entertainer can’t dance for nuts but he sure knows how to flex his facial muscles into funny shapes. You’ll like the manner in which he swaggers and talks if you fancy folks like Danny DeVito, John Belushi, and gang, though, he’s got a lot of travelling to do before he reaches anywhere near their league.
Mark Dacascos and Lucy Liu are in this to put up a martial arts show. Since they are on opposite sides, you know there is a fight coming up between the two. Sadly, there’s not much entertainment even on this front; just some basic high kicks, gun-toting, and hide and seek in a lavatory.
The rest of the “actors” are as silly as their respective characters, including a seductress who refuses to seduce, and corporate honchos who have no idea at all on how to manage a situation. Further, while many are wondering at the identity of one individual, an agent casually reveals their identity to someone even before the game is over. The script is a joke.
While the stunts atop a moving car thrills, Les Mayfield’s ultimate method of entertaining his audience is by pitting suited men with guns against someone with the bucket, mop, and other tools of a janitor. This “comedy” sure is a nice something to watch. With the sound turned off. In particular, if you’re in dire need of something to put you to sleep.
