Keep in mind, I am a fan of Chris Rock. I've listened to his album "Bigger and Blacker" (and noticed he recycled some material from the stand-up act and used it in the film--Come on, Rock! You're a comedian, you can come up with new material!) and seen his many appearances on talk shows and news programs. Chris Rock is, undoubtedly, a man of great talent. A vulgar, but inspired comedian who has his ear to the ground on a variety of social issues and utilizes them in his acts. So I bet you're expecting a great review out of me!...Well, you were wrong.
"Down to Earth" is a mediocre, underdeveloped, self-indulgent vehicle for Rock. It showcases some of his material, some of his (supposed) ability to display heartfelt emotions and spend 90 minutes without uttering a single "f" word. Yes, this is a moderately sanitized PG-13 work, but it's not a comedy that was meant for a PG-13 rating. It's another one of those watered down PG-13 flicks that simply suck up to the MPAA. All the "messages" in this bland comedy are obviously forced and pasted-on. They're as effective as the messages you find at the end of an Adam Sandler flick. Only Sandler is funny and doesn't spend too much time conveying these false messages. "DTO" starts out as a comedy (with funny sequences here and there), but falters into melodrama and cheap sentiment. It almost turns into an after-school special. The whole relationship between Rock and Regina King is moved in a predictable, catered Hollywood fashion. I'm sure Rock (who co-wrote the script) had Regina in mind when writing her character. He was probably thinking to myself, "I got a way I can make the audience feel sorry for my character AND get a kissing scene with Regina King." Their relationship has no spark of any kind. Romantic chemistry (on-screen, at least) is not the comedian's strong point. Throughout the film, you just think to yourself, "He's just feeding her this bulls**t sentiment so he can get into her pants." Nice try, dude.
The supporting cast helps to a small degree. Fellow cast member/writer on "The Chris Rock Show" Wanda Sykes is the best of the bunch. She's another talented comedian, who unfortunately got roped into this production. Her character seems like it deserves to be a different movie. I was cracking up when she started cursing into the camera, when interviewed for a TV news program, after getting paint poured on her fur coat by an angry Animal Rights Activist. Eugene Levy is great, as always, but he really isn't given much to work with. My man Chazz Palminteri has a small, forgettable role. But Chazz has that strong presence that causes him to rise above the material, no matter how weak it is. Like I tell my friends, Chazz is one of those actors, if you hand him the stupidest line in movie history, he'll make it sound cool. I don't know his name, but I also got a kick out of that Asian guy who made a big hit at the Appollo. He was hilarious! I think I've seen him in other films; I can be wrong. For some reason, I feel like he's popped up in supporting roles like that before. If anyone knows if he has and where he has, please send me a pm. Mark Addy, who I enjoy in almost everything he does, seems to be bored in this movie. He plays a tight-a** English butler, who--as we find out later, don't worry I'm not giving anything away--is actually a full-blooded American feigning the accent. The problem? Addy does a crappy job at feigning an AMERICAN accent! I love the guy, but anybody who's seen the sequel to "The Flintstones" knows that for a fact.
Rock's character is completely bland, though the obvious intention is to make him a likeable, sensitive, caring guy; adverse to his real life stage persona. Unfortunately, Rock pulls it off with the greatest of dullness. And guess what? He plays a stand-up comic! If that's self-indulgent--I don't know what is. Isn't the essence of acting to play someone totally DIFFERENT from yourself? The whole films seems like it was written by Rock and for Rock. He may as well have made this a home video he can keep in the basement, so one lonely night he can sit back on the couch, have a drink and have a few laughs. I'm sure he'll be enjoying it a hell of a lot more than the audience.
And here's the film's major flaw: It's a one-joke comedy, and the one joke is badly delivered! Rock is supposed to be in the body of an aging white guy, but what do we see? Chris Rock! (self-indulgent much?) Only on occasion do we see the white guy pop up in badly timed comic moments. But I have to say, watching an old white guy get his groove on to hip-hop music is a joy no matter how many times you've seen it.
"Down to Earth" is not a bad film, not a good film, it's a bland film. A film that's fairly watchable (on a first viewing, at least) but is thoroughly disappointing, especially if you're a fan like myself. If Rock is reading this, I urge him to--if he's gonna make another PG-13 comedy--please don't water down his act. That's just pitiful. I'm not impressed.
My score: 5 (out of 10)
