First Sunday

I went into this movie looking for laughs and that's exactly what I got. The premise of the film is rather daffy; two decent men are in desperate need for money; one (Ice Cube) to prevent his beloved son moving to Atlanta with his mother who has no other choice since she has debts that she cannot afford; the other (Tracy Morgan) secured a deal with a Jamaican thug to sell wheelchairs but messed it up, lost the wheelchairs and now owes the guy a lot of money. So what do they do? They stumble upon this church, they sit, they enjoy the music and the singing; and notice that the church's deacon handles a lot of money for the church's upcoming repairs. The next day, Tracy Morgan's character LeeJohn suggests they rob the church to Ice Cube's Durell's outrage. He immediately refuses but after an impass concerning his son's departure, he becomes determined to do it. But not everything goes according to plan, quickly the two are compelled by circumstances to turn the robbery into a hostage situation.

The main characters are not thugs, they are men who are driven by despair and see no other way out to get money on such short notice. They are driven by their enclosing circumstances; at many points during the movie they struggle with their morality. Durell is a serious man, but has a soft spot for his son. LeeJohn is a goofy man-child who doesn't even have an idea of when his birthday is. The most interesting aspect of the plot is that when the two men realize that the money they are after is not actually there, meaning somebody stole it first; which can only be one of the people having a meeting on the church that same night.

It has many ingredients to make it appealing; the interactions between hostage takers and hostages, Katt Williams' funny input, the final message of the movie delivered by Momma T (Olivia Cole) and the funny exchanges between Durell and LeeJohn.

Ice Cube plays his usual self, acting all tough but warm inside; Tracy Morgan also plays his usual character, very similar to his character Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock. That's what functions, that's the verified formula for comedic success. The other supporting actors give fine performances: Chi McBride as the Pastor, Loretta Devine as Sister Dory, Malinda Williams as the Pastor's daughter Tianna, the aforementioned Katt Williams as the church's choir director and Michael Beach as the deacon, who is great!

I had a nice time watching this flick and would definitely watch it again when in the mood for comedy. It can be a bit stereotypical at certain moments, but is definitely very watchable.

I'm baffled by the anger in some reviewer's critiques. Sure, this movie is hardy Citizen Kane or even up to the level of the Barbershop movies, but it's not terrible. It's main issue is its inability to sustain a tone. Instead, it varies between pathos, light comedy and (of all things) hostage drama.

As with the Barbershop movies, the persistent theme is community and family. The central characters are two petty criminals who remain criminals because of previous convictions. This isn't a laughable theme. A felon has a very difficult time making a living. When's the last time you saw a job application which didn't ask about previous criminal record? Anyway, in an effort to both pay off scary people and maintain family cohesiveness, two of society's losers decide on one more crime.

The subsequent series of events combine serious situations with interesting characterizations and then throws in some scenes of such silliness that they tend to stomp a bit on the rest of the movie. Approach with an open mind and you'll be for a light, decent movie with some interesting character sketches.

I really enjoyed this film for a number of reasons. I think Katt Williams is hilarious all by himself and was a great person to cast as choir director. I thought the plot was not as generic as most theft-based plots that hit Hollywood. I thought the transitions that happened as the film developed were fun to watch. Overall I thought the movie was really good.

If you are trying to decide whether or not you want to go see this movie, consider this as you make your decision. First, the film is stereotypical. The main characters live in and attend church in a run down community exposed to crime, drugs, and other stereotypical things you expect to find in a stereotypical community overrun with stereotypical people who are stereotypically Black or Hispanic. Second, the film is funny. Things that are funny to people who understand the complexities and realities of being Black will realize this; people who do not understand will find it challenging to find the comedy. Third, the film will not be an Oscar nominee. The movie was not so well shot, scripted, edited, or presented that you will see it up for major awards. That being said, a number of movies come out every day that are entertaining but are not award-winning and we watch them because we want to be entertained. This is another one of those films. So, if you want to be entertained, you understand the positive and negative inner workings of Black society, and you do not mind viewing a film that displays both stereotypes and truths about the way Black people live, move, and have their being, this movie is for you.

The movie can really touch with its emotional aspect, which consist of the old motive that money can't always buy anything. There are some good in the hood laughs, but not worth to remember. I personally think that Ice Cube can do better, and he can achieve something more great the "Friday" series.His acting is getting better and better, but he should try to change the plot of his movies or maybe a drastic change in his character.At all, this movie production is not something amazing,but this is not its main mission. It's just a good comedy, that can waste your time, without wasting its limit. By the way its worth nothing the fact that there are some really funny characters that are really moving the thing in this production. Like the chore director for example, or the priest.Actually this is the main element that makes me rate the movie at a more high score. It seems that almost everything was half-baked- the plot is good, but could have been better, and the actors a re funny,but could be funnier.

It was supposed to be entertaining. I doubt Ice Cube is crossing all fingers and toes that he'll get an Oscar nod. Lighten up! Big deal.

Not every movie has to be a groundbreaking blockbuster hit. The inspirational messages (considered silly by some) might hit certain people that didn't anticipate getting a message from the movie. Momma T talking to Ice Cube at the end was a great message and the teens that might see this movie need to hear it.

Lots of teens will see this movie I'm sure and they will walk away with a positive message, who knows. If you saw this movie and were disappointed in it, you must have had sky high hopes and it was CLEAR AS DAY what the movie was going to be like in the commercials. If you think you wasted your time, you need to pay more attention to commercials before going out to the theater. Come on man!

But to me, Katt Williams made it worth while, he never fails me.