So, it turns out "blaxploitation" films are still alive and well, and these days cast Ice Cube, Katt Williams and Tracy Morgan in the leading roles.
This offensive film parades just about every stereotype about African Americans that you can get away with while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. That translates into a ghetto setting curiously devoid of drug dealers and crack whores. There is one character who dresses like a pimp, but I'm convinced that was because of a mix-up in wardrobe, rather than a deliberate attempt at authenticity.
What is inexcusably absent though is a discernible plot. The screenplay seems to be a weak attempt to re-purpose the flimsy dramatic premise that powers "Die Hard", but relocating it in a church and mashing some Agatha Christie mystery elements for good measure.
What emerges then, in place of a plot, is a severely frayed thread, ambitiously intended to link together a series of set pieces where the various performers deliver signature material - kind of like what you'd find at a school concert, only less coherent.
"First Sunday" does have some funny moments and to be fair, the family did chuckle about the movie for a couple of days after watching it. So think of this movie as a set of toppings in search of a (first) sundae.
