Martin Lawrence has to contend with his sister (Mo'Nique) in "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins."

'Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" is a surprise.

Not a wholly pleasant one -- you can't really call the Martin Lawrence comedy a genuinely good movie. It's too predictable, and director Malcolm D. Lee has trouble bringing together disparate plot threads.

But thanks to a spirited supporting cast, you can call parts of "Roscoe Jenkins" genuinely funny, especially compared to Lawrence fare like "Big Momma's House." Mike Epps in particular is hilarious as Lawrence's hustler relative. Lawrence plays Roscoe -- though that's not technically his real name. He's a Los Angeles talk-show host, a bit more Jerry Springer than Montel Williams. His career gets a boost when he gets engaged to Bianca (Joy Bryant), a "Survivor" winner whose ambition is rivaled only by her self-esteem.

Roscoe allows Bianca to talk him into going back home, down South, for his parents' anniversary. She's not sentimental, she sees it as a boffo media opportunity.

At his parents' house, we meet the oddballs that Roscoe's been fleeing most of his life. There's Reggie (Epps), always on the make; sister Betty, (comedian Mo'Nique), constantly undermining Roscoe; and Otis 8(Michael Clarke Duncan), Roscoe's well-grounded brother, the local sheriff.

And there's Clyde (Cedric the Entertainer), Roscoe's cousin who was raised with him. A childhood incident has left them fiercely competitive -- and it's Clyde, who owns some car dealerships, that the family considers a success, despite Roscoe's fame and fortune.

Their rivalry extends to (and was created by) their feelings for Lucinda (Nicole Ari Parker).

What follows is a lesson in family, love, true happiness, all that. No surprise at where the film leads. But there is some fun in getting there. Reggie is the funniest thing in the film, though sometimes you feel bad about laughing.

Epps plays him over the top, often resorting -- on purpose, presumably -- to stereotypes that are a riot. When he's paired with Mo'Nique, you don't know whether to laugh or wince. I almost always went with the former.

Bryant captures well the psychotic competitive streak we suspect remains when the reality-show cameras stop rolling. Lawrence is much more low-key than usual, toning down his performance for most of the film. In his case, that's a good thing.

In Cedric's case, however, it's a disappointment. He never gets rolling, never seems fully invested in Clyde. Too bad -- when he's rolling, Cedric's really funny.

Ultimately, "Roscoe Jenkins" works best when it aims lowest.

-- By Bill Goodykoontz / The Arizona Republic