Code Name: The Cleaner (2007)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Les Mayfield

Writers (WGA):

Robert Adetuyi (written by) and
George Gallo (written by)

Release Date:

5 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

In a dirty world, he's our only hope.

Plot:

Cedric the Entertainer plays Jake, a seemingly regular guy who has no idea who he is after being hit...

Plot Keywords:

Wealth | Amnesia | Janitor | Hotel Room | Spy

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Cedric the Entertainer	...	Jake Rodgers
Lucy Liu	...	Gina
Nicollette Sheridan	...	Diane
Mark Dacascos	...	Eric Hauck
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Shaw
Niecy Nash	...	Jacuzzi
DeRay Davis	...	Ronnie
Will Patton	...	Riley
Kevin McNulty	...	Doctor Soames
Beau Davis	...	Old Timer
Bart Anderson	...	Charlie
Tom Butler	...	Crane
Robert Clarke	...	The Butler
Rick Tae	...	Mini Bar Attendant
Kurt Max Runte	...	Dead FBI Agent

Also Known As:

The Cleaner (USA) (informal short title)
Código negro (Spain) [es]
Con licencia para limpiar (Mexico) [es]
Kodiko onoma: Epistatis (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
Koodinimi: Siivooja (Finland) (DVD title) [fi]
Nome de Código: Limpeza (Portugal) (literal title) [pt]
Nome in codice - Cleaner (Italy) (DVD title) [it]
Operação limpeza (Brazil) [pt]
Superagent enese teadmata (Estonia) [et]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, crude humor and some violence.

Runtime:

84 min | USA:91 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #42643) | Portugal:M/12 | UK:PG | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:12A | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Vancouver International Airport, Sea Island, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Elizabeth Hurley was the original choice for Diane.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gina (Lucy Liu) runs out of the room where the Colonel Bowman game was recorded, she wears entirely different boots from the rest of the last part of the movie.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Jake Rodgers: I'm the Black Rambo!
Gina: ...Blambo?

Movie Connections:

References First Blood (1982)

Soundtrack:

Where da Boggie at?

Complete waste of time... and money

I had seen the trailer for "Code Name: The Cleaner". It looked like a spy spoof. However, more importantly it starred very hot movie starlets Lucy Liu and Nichollette Sheridan ("Desperate Housewives"). Gathering from the trailers Cedric the Entertainer's character is suffering from some sort of amnesia. He finds out he has a white wife played by Nichollette Sheridan and a mansion. Cedric the Entertainer says, "I must be Lionel Richie." I thought that was hilarious. However, I am old. Audiences today are more familiar with the arrests and eating habits of his daughter Nicole Richie. Thus, this is the inherent miscalculation of "Code Name: The Cleaner". The movie was probably funny to those making the movie, without a tangible audience in mind. Too bad. I really like Cedric the Entertainer—he is funny. But he is so off the mark here. Sexy Nichollette Sheridan is whacked out as the femme fa-tale Diane posing as Jake's (Cedric the Entertainer) wife. The only thing that could have saved the movie is if her lingerie mysteriously slipped off her stunning body. Really, too bad. Lucy Liu looks fabulous and looks killer in the marital arts action sequences. Her fight scene with Sheridan could have been a lot longer. Also, too bad.

There is little redeeming in "Code Name: The Cleaner" other than its stars. For that blame the lameness of Director Les Mayfield and the horrendous writing of Robert Adetuyi and George Gallo. The tell tale symptom of this miserable collapse is that the most entertaining part of the movie are the outtakes at the end. Seems at least the cast and crew were having fun. One can only hope that there is more of Cedric, Sheridan, and Liu in the DVD release. Don't hold your breath.