(Cert 12A, 105mins): Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher Zoe Saldana, Judith Scott, Kellee Stewart, Hal Williams, RonReaco Lee, Robert Curtis-Brown. Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan.

Kevin Rodney Sullivan's culture-clash comedy, intended as a humorous spin on Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, bears an uncanny similarity to Meet The Parents.

Like that smash-hit confection, Guess Who pits an over-protective and scheming father against a prospective, eager-to-please son-in-law.

In both cases, an escalating series of lies and misunderstandings results in tears, tantrums and wounded egos.

But whereas Meet The Parents boasts plentiful belly laughs and inspired casting, Guess Who only manages a few chuckles and is overly-sentimental.

Percy Jones (Mac) is a devoted family man and he is especially proud of his daughter Theresa (Saldana), whose penchant for loser artist boyfriends never ceases to amaze her father.

When Theresa announces she is bringing home her latest boyfriend, a stockbroker called Simon Green, Percy runs a credit and background check and is surprised to find that, on paper at least, Simon is a young man of prospects and means.

Looking forward to meeting the mystery man, Percy is aghast when Simon (Kutcher) turns out to be "pigment challenged".

Despite the protestations of his wife Marilyn (Scott), Percy takes an immediate dislike to Simon and sets about trying to destroy the relationship. In order to impress Percy, Simon begins telling fibs - including his nonexistent past as a NASCAR test driver - which soon come back to haunt him.

Percy, in turns, tells a few white lies of his own, including informing his assistant Reggie (Lee) that Simon is a black man called Jamal from Atlanta who plays basketball and has personal connections with Bill Cosby.

Guess Who aims for easy laughs and largely hits the target, from Percy walking in on Simon trying on his girlfriend's lingerie to a race which inflames both men's competitiveness.

Mac and Kutcher are an appealing double act but the script doesn't provide either actor with enough snappy oneliners to truly shine.

Saldana and Scott make sure both their men have to fight for their love, while Kellee Stewart is an amusing diversion as Theresa's sassy sister.

The three screenwriters throw in a number of superfluous sub-plots and supporting characters - like the effete party organiser (Curtis-Brown), who takes the brunt of Percy's homophobic jibes - to drag out the running time.