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Anthony Anderson’s Malcolm King is a crass marketing executive facing a nasty alimony settlement with his ex-wife-to-be. Desperate to keep his fortune for himself, he hatches a plan to have himself kidnapped. It turns out that Malcolm is so unlikable that three other schemes to kidnap him have already been set in motion, and mayhem ensues. There’s also, unfortunately, not much to like about King’s Ransom. Director Jeff Byrd’s "jokes" range from trashy to abjectly offensive. When Corey (Jay Mohr in a sick parody of Falling Down’s Michael Douglas) offers Malcolm Chinese food and a pair of chopsticks, Malcolm responds, "Do I look like Jackie Chan? I’m a black man! I want a knife and fork!" Byrd’s romp through the most contemptible stereotypes of women, gays, and ethnic minorities makes his film unfit for just about anyone, never mind royalty. (95 minutes)
BY MATTIAS FREY
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