“A Low Down Dirty Shame” is an awful comedy directed by and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans (“I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”). It clearly wants to be “Shaft” meets “Beverly Hills Cop” but it’s just so painfully dull and unfunny. It’s easy to see why people don’t talk about this film.

In this film, Wayans stars as Shame, a private detective and ex-cop. He gets hired to take down Mendoza (Andrew Divoff “Air Force One”, “Wishmaster”), a drug lord and personal enemy of Shame. With the help of his assistant, Peaches (Jada Pinkett “The Matrix Reloaded”, “Scream 2”), Shame must defeat Mendoza and bring his criminal operations to an end.

Keenen Ivory Wayans is not credible as tough detective guy. He’s certainly no Sam Spade. It’s strange because Wayans knew this when he made action-comedy “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” by making his character goofier. Jada Pinkett is so obnoxious and horrendous as a stereotypically aggressive and loud African-American woman that it’s a chore to sit through her scenes. Andrew Divoff is completely forgettable as Mendoza. If anybody is the villain in this film, it’s Jada Pinkett for being so unbearable to watch. Salli Richardson (“The Great White Hype”) is bland as Angela, Shame’s old flame. Kim Wayans (the sister of Keenen) has a small role.

“A Low Down Dirty Shame” offers nothing original as it lifts plot elements and gags from other films such as “Beverly Hills Cop”. What we have here as an action film that is never particularly exciting and a comedy that is certainly not amusing. Wayans can be funny but he seems to often forget that you actually need to be creative and not just aim low and hope for the best. It’s not the worst movie Wayans has ever done but it’s a really bad one and one you should avoid at all costs.