Richard Pryor: Icon (2014) User Reviews

Fantastic subject. Film could have been better.

[Sasha_Lauren · 6/10 · 11 April 2021]

In Richard Pryor, Icon, comediennes and friends talk about Richard, his journey, development of his own authentic voice, and his wide sphere of cultural influence. The cast is conspicuous for the many that are not part of this. This narration reminded me of grade school films about guppies.

An extraordinary storyteller, nothing was taboo once Pryor blew the lid off his limitations and stopped imitating Cosby. But this review is about the film, not the man. I learned some things from this film.

Born in a brothel in Peoria, Illinois, his father was a pimp, his mother a prostitute who abandoned him when he was ten, (who he later reconciled with), his grandmother who ran a brothel beat him and also had a stack of Doris Day records that Richard used to listen to. He'd go to the movies as an escape; a fan of Westerns, he wanted to be in show business.

I enjoyed the film because it was about Richard Pryor, but 'm looking for better documentaries about him than this one.

Short insight

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 15 January 2018]

The documentary at hand is short and does feel opinionated. It starts off with high praise calling Pryor the best - and it's fellow comedians who speak out and tell their view of things. While it is short in running time, it does try to cover as much as possible, of Pryors career and rise to fame as a stand up comedian. No matter if you agree or not with him being called the best (everyone has their favorite), Pryor was one of the best.

He had to change and the documentary tells us, how that came (with a former bodyguard speaking out too). While some things may not be entirely correct (Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake incident on live TV, no 5 seconds delay prior to that and some other stuff, that are just objective viewpoints of the interviewees), it also does not mean that the documentary shies away from darker passages of Pryors life.

What is a shame, is that we don't get some other people to talk about him. While Bill Cosby may feel wrong, after all the revelations, at least Eddie Murphy should have been in this. There's still more that could've been in this, but with direct quotes from the man (even a sort of "final word"), this does paint a picture or at least a sketch of a great comedian, who achieved quite a lot with his humor

Rather Shallow Considering the Subject Matter

[arfdawg-1 · 2/10 · 24 February 2020]

This is a pretty darned bad documentary. Not a lot of real insight. Bad statements from other comics.

It's just a mish mash of crap that goes no where. You learn noting you didnt already know.

It's superficial pablum. There are way better Pryor documentaries out there.

Useless

[ersbel · 7 October 2017]

Disgusting. Scenes from Richard's shows are collated to rise cheap drama, but that turns out to be an insult to the bright mind of his.

And the dim witted speakers! And the best part: the overall idea of the show is precisely the white prejudice Richard Prior fought in all his shows, thus going against his legacy.

"before Richard no rapper would use that language" Well, there were no rappers before Richard Prior. silly chronology! I keep on hearing about the great pbs documentaries. So far I keep seeing crap documentaries perpetuating myths. And the worst myth is that pbs has any other quality than using tax money to keep state bureaucrats well fed.

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