First Sunday (2008) Reviews

• I didn't see what was horrible about it, but it's certainly not that good

  Dragoneyed3632008-05-17

  Let me start off with the downsides of this movie. There was a lot of unbelievable material, and it got so out of hand at times that I really couldn't enjoy it for how ridiculous it was being. Some of the acting was poor, and I felt the actors and actresses really didn't care how they portrayed their characters, except maybe a few, and therefore they ended up being unlikable and ultimately forgettable. Most of the funny material wasn't funny at all, and I got super tired super fast with all of the lame jokes and mundane, black comedy antics. Not to mention it was predictable to the point where I wasn't enjoying any surprises. Now, the actual upsides. I did laugh a few times, and it was because the material was actually humorous. No, it wasn't hysterically rolling on the floor laughing, but it got smiles and chuckles nonetheless. It managed to keep me entertained, and I was actually sucked into the story plot a little. I became interested because even though most every attribute about this film is average or poor, the plot truthfully seemed endearing to me, for some odd reason, and overall, while the movie is mediocre, and I certainly wouldn't watch it again, it's not terrible. I wouldn't recommend it, but you don't have to completely avoid it, per say. It was nothing special, but if you feel like watching it, be my guest.

• Entertaining, Not Award Winning

  LadyGotthelf2008-01-21

  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.

• First Sunday felt like a whole week.

  Zygrot242008-01-12

  2 out of 10. What can I say? I didn't expect much walking in. Can you blame me? Did you see the trailer? You know a comedic trailer is unfunny when the funniest thing in it is the studio logo at the beginning and that wasn't funny. This debacle stars "multi-talented" act-rapper Ice Cube whose career started melting after Barbershop 2. Ice Cube doesn't even try to be funny nor does he have anything funny to do or say. Why is this guy even in comedies or movies for that matter? The comedy revolution of a plot consists of two losers trying to get rich quick. That is what the plot boils down to. Ice Cube's character wants to prove to his son that he is not a loser and Tracy Morgan's character wants to prove to the audience that he belongs in this movie. Neither of them are believable. The writer/director *Insert black writer/director's name here* tries to add dramatic elements to a humorless comedy script and fails just as much as he was trying to add jokes. There is something in this movie about the 2 main characters trying to rob a church and realizing that the money in the church is already stolen, but I was too distracted by the idea that someone actually green lighted this script. First off, is it even an interesting idea to rob a church? I guess the writer figured that banks stopped carrying money. Secondly, who the hell thinks Katt Williams's one liners in this film were funny? The director kept cutting to him as if he said the most uproarious thing since Stephen Hawking yodeled Green Eggs and Ham. You know a comedy is bad when they go to one character for comic relief...IN A COMEDY!!! This movie tries way too hard to have many sentimental and redeeming moments wishing for you to stand up and cheer. But such "redeeming" moments as Ice Cube hugging his movie offspring and Tracy Morgan feeling as he belongs in society felt as if they were added as a last minute script revision because the comedy wasn't working. The hilarity of this movie consists of Tracy Morgan getting a massage from a badly dubbed transvestite. It also includes "pimped out" wheelchairs because a wheelchair with hot chrome rims equals comedy gold. By the way, those wheelchairs are mentioned more times in this movie than Jesus Christ in the Bible. First (and hopefully the last) Sunday isn't the worst movie ever made. It's not as awful as other urban comedies like Who's Your Caddy? or anything with Mike Epps. First Sunday is by far no Epic Movie (which is definitely a 0 out of 500) but it is clearly a waste of time. Not only for the audience but for the people involved in making it. It adds nothing new and it insults the audience's intelligence many times. I was going to list a bunch of movies that are funnier than First Sunday but after listing Schindler's List, Citizen Kane, and March of the Penguins I got tired. So in conclusion, save your time, save your life, and most importantly save your money. If you save your money that will most likely prevent a Second Sunday.

• Shamelessly deeding stereotypes on screen!

  janyeap2008-01-05

  With scenes pumping off like in a TV show, this film exposes an urban community with an appeal that's worst off than the dirty red-light districts in some cities. The film blares with loud music that seeming competes with noise from the loud-mouthed characters. The Writer/Director brings out a Baltimore community, inhabited by either dysfunctional characters or low-based folks – gangsters, masseurs, street alcoholics, homeless folks, macho men who can't resist glaring at female bottoms, and those who fill their time in an overheated church where the choir director maneuvers around like a court jester and any one dressed like a manicured, fruity dude could be troublesome! Even the court room has the appeal of a noisy street market! Hhhmh, what a pathetic way to portray a community… especially when it's so absurd to see Ice Cube's Durell – a man obviously with brains and talent – so easily becoming enticed to crime by his dysfunctional pal, LeeJohn, or having nothing better to do than be obsessed by a female's wriggling rear end. Boy, aren't we getting rather bored with film after film that makes excuses for irresponsible bums who turn into gun-trotting robbers just because they are short of cash or are being hounded by ugly loan sharks? Boy, it's even more freakish to have to watch misfits turning over a new leaf by some lonely old church ladies with ogling eyes! Absolutely a lame movie without any witty humor, but with lots of unflattering stereotypical clichés to attempt at drawing out laughs… and where events and characters flow and end at very predictable expectations. Yep, this film is simply overloaded with non-complimentary logic and ugly characterization of an urban community!

• Subpar Comedy

  jdesando2008-01-11

  Let me see: It's January, and a film is released with a recognizable star and an obvious audience. Should be a winner? Nah! Not for nothing is this called the "dead season" or the "dumping ground" because almost all the films released at this time are potential losers, films deemed by their owners weak for a variety of reasons, but most certainly heading for panning by the critics. First Sunday, a heist film set in a church, fulfills all the requirements for this notorious time of year: The plot is thin and almost silly: a couple of slackers decide to rob a local church in order to pay debts or salvage a family, mixing guilt with almost innocence; Ice Cube stars against his type as a robber with at heart and he produces, an act that guarantees this weak film distribution. Yet, I liked First Sunday well enough to keep it from my slag heap of grade F. I liked the sub-textual seriousness of kids without dads, dads dealing with unemployment and disrespect, and mundane church matters. In addition, Cube (Durell) has a solid persona, not varying much each film, of an intelligent, serious but secretly warmhearted guy, a working stiff who just hasn't had the right breaks. His sidekick LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan) provides the feckless, goofy, but lovable klutz, whose heart is bigger than Durell's. Beyond reasonable humor is Katt Williams' Rickey, a choirmaster with loopy observations and mannerisms. The women in the congregation serve as enablers for the errant crooks, and in one case, as major eye candy. Most of the characters in the film are shameless stereotypes. The responsibility for this sub par comedy rests with writer director David E. Talbert, whose more that a dozen successful plays with heavy social themes remind of the success Tyler Perry has had with a similar profile. But Talbert lacks Perry's refinement of style and substance that deftly mixes broad comedy with social concerns. Talbert may never reach the success of Perry, but he should keep trying because social comedy is a powerful part of our popular culture.