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First Sunday Review

Release Date: Jan 11, 2008
Rated: language, some sexual humor, and brief drug references
Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min.
Genres: Comedy
Director:David E. Talbert
Cast:Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan, Loretta Devine, Michael Beach. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

2.0

Dave White Profile <h3>Dave White</h3> <p><strong>Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex</strong></p> <br /> <p>Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/dave-white">Read full profile</a></p>

… amiable enough and less stupid than you'd
guess … Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

3.0

41

out of 100

Metascore^®
Mixed or average reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
38

out of 100

USA Today Claudia Puig
A misguided attempt at comedy that needs to go last on anyone's list of movie options.

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40

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
It plods along at a sluggard's pace through a weak premise with crude execution and even cruder characters to arrive at an unearned sentimental ending.

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50

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly
If Tyler Perry ever wanted to turn "Dog Day Afternoon" into a treacly after-school special, it would probably end up looking a lot like this.

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50

out of 100

Chicago Tribune
The movie’s total lack of focus and its unimpressive script should render it totally unwatchable. Weirdly, that doesn’t quite happen. There’s something endearing about these characters.

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63

out of 100

ReelViews James Berardinelli
The movie as a whole is pleasant, generally satisfying, and has a heart as big as its funny bone. For an early January movie, this is sometimes as good as it gets.

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 13+

Predictable crime comedy has some iffy content.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie -- which stars popular comic actors Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan -- starts out as a heist comedy but ends up more like a Tyler Perry film, with a sentimental, moral message about taking responsibility and never giving up hope. Language is milder than in other PG-13 films but is present (including "ass" and "s--t"), as is the central violent act of taking a group of parishioners hostage in a church. There's no outright sex, but a character does overhear some shenanigans in a massage parlor, and a man receives a sensual massage from what turns out to be a cross-dresser.

Families can talk about the movie's messages. What lessons do you think audiences are intended to take away? Are they believable? Why or why not? Kids: Did you notice any stereotypes in the film? What were they?

The good stuff

Messages: At first LeeJohn and Durell, both of whom have a rap sheet, continue to engage in criminal behavior (including taking churchgoers hostage) -- but in the end they learn big lessons about taking responsibility for their actions and repenting for their ways.

What to watch for

Violence: Gun-wielding Caribbean gangsters threaten and punch LeeJohn and Durell. Durell brings two guns to the church, where he takes a bunch of parishioners hostage and threatens to harm them if the church's fundraising money isn't surrendered.
Sex: LeeJohn gets a sensual massage from what turns out to be a cross-dresser; Durell can hear moans, groans, and a squeaking mattress from another room in the massage parlor. Both men stare at a woman's behind, which gets a few close-ups. Tianna and Durell flirt. Omunique wears revealing, tight-fitting clothes.
Language: "Ass," "s--t," "bulls--t," etc. A woman flips LeeJohn the bird.
Consumerism: Recognizable brands include Avirex, Enyce, Sony PSP, Cadillac, Pinto, and Baltimore's transit system.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Bumper stickers that say "Honk if you like weed" two homeless people pass a bottle of liquor back and forth.

Common Sense Media

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 3.526

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by QBad3

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