"The Bourne Stupidity" would have been a more appropriate title for this clumsily monikered, laugh-free and derivative inaction movie from Les Mayfield, the visionary behind the Sam Jackson and Eugene Levy abomination, The Man.

Taking its cue from, ie blatantly ripping off, the Bourne series, True Lies and even Charlie’s Angels, despite its big-screen credentials and Midas-touch Brett Ratner producing, Code Name: The Cleaner is quickly going to find its natural home on the small screen.

In a role Martin Lawrence must have turned down, Cedric The Entertainer gallantly mugs it up, but is hamstrung by a weak script, lame pratfalling and his own dead-on-arrival one-liners.

Flashbacks to a possible Special Forces career offer the only (guilty) laugh, with Mr The Entertainer the most unlikely commando since Ice Cube huffed and puffed through xXx2.

Nicolette Sheridan is strictly on cleavage duties, while Lucy Liu (who also exec-produced) loses a lot of goodwill as a waitress packing more than service with a smile.

A by-the-numbers action finale permits bad guy Mark Dacascos to flash his world championship martial arts chops, but when Mayfield can’t even stage a bubble bath catfight between Liu and Sheridan with conviction it's clear Code Name: The Cleaner is one of the year’s big stinkers.

Rob Daniel