Post by StevePulaski on Apr 18, 2010 22:38:43 GMT -5
Danny Glover and Tracy Morgan take on a gross relationship in the remake of Death at a Funeral.
Rating: 3½/4 stars.
Let me stop and say this is one of the few films I have seen with an African-American ensemble cast. Everyone you could possible want to see in a funny "black" Comedy is here. This movie has a lot of 90s style slapstick and farce themes added to it, but still, thats when the film has its greatest moments. Its not the nicest, most friendly movie I have seen, but it is definitely a nice laughfest. Just like Hot Tub Time Machine and The Hangover. At least one laugh per minute.
Tracy Morgan, Cuba Gooding Jr., Martin Lawrence, Danny Glover, Chris Rock, Regina Hall, and Luke Wilson are all people who I have seen a movie from and liked it. Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock were the two actors that stood out to me. I love them, and find Chris Rock just mindblowingly funny in his stand-up Comedies. So seeing this was no mistake. I was too shocked to find out this is a two year spread of an English remake. I remember hearing about the original and when looking at the poster sometime ago after hearing about this I recongized the dwarf (Peter Dinklage). From what I hear, this is the same thing, just done with a black family.
The movie is like a funeral anthology. Various mishaps go wrong in the day of Chris Rock's father's funeral. All he wants is to pay respects to his father in an ordinary fashion. What he doesn't understand is why it's so complicated. Conflict after conflict continues when someone takes an Hallucinogenetic drug on accident, Uncle Russell won't stand still, and the main problem is that an unknown dwarf (Peter Dinklage) comes to the funeral univited to state he wants his deservings (apparently $30,000 is what he feels he deserves). The dwarf and Chris Rock's father had a lot of close relationships, usually homosexual encounters. If the $30,000 isn't ubtained, the man will show the pictures to Chris Rock's wife.
So a plan is needed, but all are clueless which is when the laughs begin. The scenes are take mild effort to think about, but in the end are just funny as all hell. Uncle Russell (Glover) going to the bathroom when Tracy Morgan's hand is stuck in the toilet. Simple, but funny. The outrageous acting by Tracy Morgan plays along nicely with the flow of the film as well.
To be honest, I never saw the English version of this film, but intend to as soon as I can. I dont know which I will be more bias to because this one was excellent. Ensemble cast, hilarious lines, and just ridiculous conflicts that won't be seen at any funeral. I also must say that Peter Dinklage performance was underrated much. Many don't know him by name, but many will be appearance. He does a great job in the film as well as being well-recieved in the original 2007 film as well. When Death at a Funeral got raunchy is when I busted a gut and just burst out laughing.
Starring: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, James Marsden, Zoe Saldana, Loretta Devine, Ron Glass, Peter Dinklage, and Columbus Short. Directed by: Niel LaBute.