"Soul Men" is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. The chemistry between Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson could not have been planned better. I was left wondering if they had indeed known each other in real life for thirty-plus years. Admittedly, I am a Bernie fan; his TV show was the best sitcom on the air. Mac's habit of addressing "America" was fresh and highly entertaining.
There are some elements of "Soul Men" that reminded me of the older movie, "The Blues Brothers". Aging musicians, one an ex-con, looking to put the old band back together and taking a cross-country road trip in the process all conspired to make the analogy inevitable. But Soul Men has a very different pathos and a richer theme. The language at times is uncomfortably rough, but hey; these are two guys, and the roughness is never gratuitous.
There are many moments that were so uproariously funny, I can't recall the last time I have laughed so hard. There are comedians, very successful ones, that can become somewhat grating after a very short time. Not so Bernie Mac. Bernie is so easy to relate to, he makes the commonplace seem like a new adventure. A new, very funny adventure. Toothless barflies, AARP, a crooked nephew, the entertainment industry, aging, paternity confusion, and an interesting portrayal of gangster rap are all fair targets in this unexpectedly great movie. The pacing is fast and steady, and while the plot is a little derivative, Bernie Mac and Samuel L Jackson make it work wonderfully.
The only faults I found in this movie mainly had to do with continuity. Nit pickers will have a field day. But for people like me, people who like decent movies and like Bernie Mac and Samuel Jackson, these puny things matter not.
This is not family entertainment. Leave the kids, the prudes, and the self-righteous at home. If you enjoy the comedy styling of Bernie Mac, and you enjoy A-list performers like Samuel L. Jackson, you are going to have a great time.
There are some elements of "Soul Men" that reminded me of the older movie, "The Blues Brothers". Aging musicians, one an ex-con, looking to put the old band back together and taking a cross-country road trip in the process all conspired to make the analogy inevitable. But Soul Men has a very different pathos and a richer theme. The language at times is uncomfortably rough, but hey; these are two guys, and the roughness is never gratuitous.
There are many moments that were so uproariously funny, I can't recall the last time I have laughed so hard. There are comedians, very successful ones, that can become somewhat grating after a very short time. Not so Bernie Mac. Bernie is so easy to relate to, he makes the commonplace seem like a new adventure. A new, very funny adventure. Toothless barflies, AARP, a crooked nephew, the entertainment industry, aging, paternity confusion, and an interesting portrayal of gangster rap are all fair targets in this unexpectedly great movie. The pacing is fast and steady, and while the plot is a little derivative, Bernie Mac and Samuel L Jackson make it work wonderfully.
The only faults I found in this movie mainly had to do with continuity. Nit pickers will have a field day. But for people like me, people who like decent movies and like Bernie Mac and Samuel Jackson, these puny things matter not.
This is not family entertainment. Leave the kids, the prudes, and the self-righteous at home. If you enjoy the comedy styling of Bernie Mac, and you enjoy A-list performers like Samuel L. Jackson, you are going to have a great time.