"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," released in 1967, examined racial tolerance with a story about a young woman bringing home an African-American male to her parents and requesting marriage to him. It was a groundbreaking feature that was a little trite, but ultimately important.<br /><br />The new film "Guess Who" takes its name from the original, as well as its central plot point (a woman brings home a man of different race.) However, 38 years after the original, interracial relationships aren't uncommon enough to be a daring subject for the screen. In turn, the producers decided it should be a homogenized racial comedy instead of a social commentary piece.<br /><br />Boring and frequently unfunny, 'Guess Who' is an uninspired trip in familiar territory. Having much more in common with "Meet the Parents" than the original movie, "Guess Who" takes the unfriendly in-laws approach.<br /><br />The story unfolds under simple pretenses. New Yorkers Theresa (Zoë Saldaña) and Simon (Ashton Kutcher) have recently decided to get married. They're young, happy and of two different colors. Although they receive foul comments from people about their relationship, they've decided to stick it out. Only one thing is left before they can get married: Simon has to meet Theresa's parents, Percy (Bernie Mac) and Marilyn (Judith Scott).<br /><br />Theresa decides to bring Simon along to her parents' 25th anniversary party, where they will be renewing their vows. A big problem arises from the fact that Theresa didn't tell her family Simon was white. Her sister and grandfather have their own comments to say about it, but Percy seems the most taken aback.<br /><br />To make matters worse, Simon has just quit his job as a stockbroker, but in an effort to impress Percy and Marilyn, he pretends as if nothing has happened. This little fib eventually leads to more complications.<br /><br />You can see where this going. "Guess Who" is startlingly predictable, leaving nothing for the viewer to guess.<br /><br />The screenplay, credited to David Ronn, Jay Scherick and Peter Tolan, is just too tame to evoke many laughs. It tries to incorporate the comic subtleties of "Meet the Parents," but each joke tries too hard, creating a reverse effect.<br /><br />Thankfully, Mac, one of the best black comedic actors around, ensures that the movie is not a complete failure. His charismatic presence on the screen adds a few laughs, even when the dialogue is lacking. Although, when he is not on the screen, the film suffers.<br /><br />In addition, there are a few great moments when Simon and Percy begin to acclimate to each other. The two drink vodka, play indoor football and practice the tango together, creating an unusual bond.<br /><br />It appears director Kevin Rodney Sullivan ("Barbershop 2") was trying for a "love triumphs over color" film with comedic moments to smooth out the edges. However, it doesn't work as well as it should.<br /><br />It's not as if the film doesn't try to do something with its subjects of race and in-law acceptance, it just doesn't do enough of it.