The Original Kings of Comedy

If you enjoy stand up-these were certainly the "Kangs"-as Steve said:) They take you back to recall your history, childhood, life. The subjects are funny because you know people like those they mimic, or are like who they comment on! Simply this film shows us why these men have remained the top of the most funny (alive) male comedians for as long as they have. As the man above,don't try to "review" this as a movie with plot, character development, etc. Steve Harvey was the Host so his sets were throughout and he had his own later.It's a reel of a night of standup-THAT'S ALL! These men are Funny-You can see the reaction of the crowd as they get that "You know that's right" moment, or have to get up and do that "dance-laugh" cos they will have you rollin! I can watch it every time and the reaction is the same(gut laughs)-my whole family is nearly in tears watchin Ced and Bernie. These men are crazy funny fools! Just watch it and see how much you laugh...I hope you "get it"-it's just COMEDY! It was also nice to see them off-stage and see the real relationship, brotherly bonds between adult black men who have done good with their lives! Entertainment at it's finest.

As a sometime stand-up comic, it was a great treat that this summer brought a big-name stand-up concert film, namely Spike Lee's "The Original Kings of Comedy". The film, a record of the highest-grossing comedy tour of all time, is not revolutionary and says nothing new about comedy or those who practice it. But it's chock-full of laughs, magnetism, and good, rollicking fun.

The concert in "Original Kings" was taped at Charlotte, North Carolina's Charlotte Coliseum, and it's a great testament to the often unfairly neglected stand-up art that comedy performers could fill such a prodigious space. The MC of the evening, who holds forth from an elaborately decorated stage set, is the WB's Steve Harvey, who has a wonderfully exasperated stage persona and a voice full of gusto as he sounds off about the stupidity of Rae Carruth, the idiosyncracies of black church elders, and the asininity of the band on the Titanic playing as the ship went down. He's got a rip-roaring sense of energy that gets the show started on a good note.

D.L. Hughley's set is perhaps the lowlight of the film. His delivery is not as punchy as that of the other performers, and unlike Harvey, he seems to use profanity as a crutch rather than as a proper comedy tool. Still, his performance has its moments, and he's likable enough that his onstage time doesn't get too dull.

Fortunately, things pick up when Cedric the Entertainer, a big, cuddly bear of a guy in a chocolate brown fedora, takes the stage. His set is the highlight of the film, full of sharp commentary about Tiger Woods, blacks on the space shuttle, and the particulars of a "ghetto wedding". He fills the stage with his expansive body language, and his silly dance interludes are among the best moments in the picture. Someone should give this guy his own TV show, and fast.

Closing things out is Bernie Mac, an abrasive, raspy-voiced, pop-eyed provocateur whose act is the most down-in-the-dirt of all the performers featured. His riffs on the virtues of beating children, the problem of living with a gay six-year-old nephew, and the importance of a certain twelve-letter-word to the black vocabulary, are sometimes more hostile than funny, but his gritty delivery and fast pace socks the best jokes home nicely. Besides, the audience in the theatre where I saw the film gave him applause at the end of his set, the only performer onscreen they did that for, so who am I to argue?

Lee's direction sometimes gets in the way of the performers, with showy camera moves that distract from the words. The film is at its best when Lee's cameraman, Malik Sayeed, just plops his camera down and lets the comics do their stuff. There are some nice reaction shots of the crowd, who are clearly having a great time, and the way that the laughter of the onscreen audience blends with that of the people in the theatre really makes you feel like you're part of the show.

"The Original Kings of Comedy" is not as great as earlier stand-up films like "Bill Cosby Himself" or "Eddie Murphy Raw", films that fell together more cohesively than this one does. Still, if you're looking for some Friday night laughs, you would be well advised to head to the theatre and hail to the Kings.

I just had to comment on this documentary.

It is funny, but to paraphrase Ralph Wiggum, not ha ha funny. It seems most of the jokes revolved around race, drugs, sex, homosexuality and child abuse. You know, the typical amateur hour fare with African-American comedians far less talented than the insightful and intelligent Chris Rock. (I miss the Chris Rock show)The behind the scenes footage is interesting though. You do not often get to see that part of a comedy show. Like all Spike Lee "joints", it is interesting enough to watch once, although, the target demographic appears to be African-Americans. And also, turn on closed-captioning during the Bernie Mac routine. He is about as incomprehensible as Boomhauer of TV's "King of the Hill" fame. I couldn't understand a word he was saying sometimes.

**1/2 out of *****

The success of this tour surprised many whom were not familiar with these comedians, mainly because they are superstars on the African-American, not mainstream, comedy circuit. These men are funny as hell! The TV shows they appear or have appeared on do not give them the freedom to turn loose like they do in this film. One of the best sequences was when Harvey complained about rap and urban contemporary music (he was so right!) and gave respect to old school R&B. This is absolutely the best comedy that was released all summer.

A lot of this movie was funny, but I was so disturbed by how intentionally racist these guys are. Half of the show was "White folks vs. Black folks." If these comedians want to continue rebuilding the wall of intolerance, then I hope that they aren't allowed to make any more movies. I was disturbed by what these men thought that they knew anything about me by the color of my skin. Leave the prejudice behind. One can still be funny talking about how they were raised or about how their family/friends act, but generalizing actions to an entire race is flat-out wrong. I am ashamed to say that I stayed throughout the whole movie. I am saddened by our society. And this sort of movie makes me lose hope in equality. Amen.