One thing that needs to be understood from the get-go:
This is a BLACK FILM. It was made by, and for, Black people.
This is not to say that White people cannot or will not enjoy the film, but the comedy in this movie revolves around Black culture and the condition of Black people in America.
I don't mean to harp on a point that may seem obvious, but the fact that this is advertised as "A Spike Lee joint" may be a bit deceiving since many of his films, though they may center around and star Black people, often contain timeless themes that are universal in scope and understanding.
Anyway... had to get that out of the way.
It kinda depends on how you look at this. There were many, MANY moments in the film that, looking back, were the highlight of my week. I mean, just drop-dead, laughing-so-hard-you're-losing-your-voice-and-you-can-barely-breathe funny. My personal favorite of the four comedians was Cedric the Entertainer. His was the most clean, and his laid back style is personally the most appealing to me. He has one bit about how folks start running without explanation... oooooowweeee... just thinking about it makes my sides hurt.
Steve Harvey came in at a close second. He's got more of a ranting style. It's funny. And surprisingly, although he also cusses a lot, sometimes that even enhances the humor because it's so absurdly inappropriate. At one point he's talking about the good ol' days of soul music, and he's like, "Listen to these godd@mn lyrics!"
DL Hughley and Bernie Mac, I didn't like as much. Both of them had a lot of sexual humor that I didn't find that funny. They both had their moments (especially Hughley) but neither one were especially hilarious. Hughley also spent a lot of time doing his trademark anti-heckler business, cracking on people in the crowd. Some of it was funny, but not very.
In general, if you are like me and not a fan of people using the F-word gratuitously, you might find this movie somewhat unsatisfying. Bernie Mac especially spent the last portion of his bit trying to explain his use of the F-word and at the same time trying to make it sound like it's a staple of Black culture. If a White comedian would have done that, I would have resented it. Because Bernie Mac is Black, and because there were apparently many people in the theater in which it was taped (and in the movie theater where I sat) for whom that bit seemed to resonate, I just had to sit there and feel slightly ashamed. It was the same feeling I had throughout 1/3rd of "Scary Movie."
I wouldn't (and didn't) spend full-price on it, but it was still a good time.
This is a BLACK FILM. It was made by, and for, Black people.
This is not to say that White people cannot or will not enjoy the film, but the comedy in this movie revolves around Black culture and the condition of Black people in America.
I don't mean to harp on a point that may seem obvious, but the fact that this is advertised as "A Spike Lee joint" may be a bit deceiving since many of his films, though they may center around and star Black people, often contain timeless themes that are universal in scope and understanding.
Anyway... had to get that out of the way.
It kinda depends on how you look at this. There were many, MANY moments in the film that, looking back, were the highlight of my week. I mean, just drop-dead, laughing-so-hard-you're-losing-your-voice-and-you-can-barely-breathe funny. My personal favorite of the four comedians was Cedric the Entertainer. His was the most clean, and his laid back style is personally the most appealing to me. He has one bit about how folks start running without explanation... oooooowweeee... just thinking about it makes my sides hurt.
Steve Harvey came in at a close second. He's got more of a ranting style. It's funny. And surprisingly, although he also cusses a lot, sometimes that even enhances the humor because it's so absurdly inappropriate. At one point he's talking about the good ol' days of soul music, and he's like, "Listen to these godd@mn lyrics!"
DL Hughley and Bernie Mac, I didn't like as much. Both of them had a lot of sexual humor that I didn't find that funny. They both had their moments (especially Hughley) but neither one were especially hilarious. Hughley also spent a lot of time doing his trademark anti-heckler business, cracking on people in the crowd. Some of it was funny, but not very.
In general, if you are like me and not a fan of people using the F-word gratuitously, you might find this movie somewhat unsatisfying. Bernie Mac especially spent the last portion of his bit trying to explain his use of the F-word and at the same time trying to make it sound like it's a staple of Black culture. If a White comedian would have done that, I would have resented it. Because Bernie Mac is Black, and because there were apparently many people in the theater in which it was taped (and in the movie theater where I sat) for whom that bit seemed to resonate, I just had to sit there and feel slightly ashamed. It was the same feeling I had throughout 1/3rd of "Scary Movie."
I wouldn't (and didn't) spend full-price on it, but it was still a good time.