11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A real fun movie ;->, June 9, 2008
I love pretty much anything that Mo'nique is in and anything Martin is in. To see them here together was a real treat. This movie is fun and enjoyable and sure it's corny and silly in some parts, but you can't take it too seriously. The cast is great (Nicole Ari Parker, James Earl Jones, Cedric the Entertainer, Joy Bryant etc) and the story fun.
Roscoe has moved across the country to get away from his family and is a talk show host out in LA. He goes back home to visit when it's his parents' 50th anniversary. It's there that we see exactly how zany his family really are and why he left in the first place. It's hilarious and yet we do also see him accept his family as they are too.
It's not Oscar material for sure, but it's a great movie for light entertainment with a terrific cast that will surely make you laugh. It's enjoyable and I really liked this one.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Where did we go wrong with that boy?", February 8, 2008
RJ Stevens (Martin Lawrence) is the host of an irreverent and raunchy talk show in the sun-soaked state of California, and is engaged to "Survivor" contestant Bianca Kittles (Joy Bryant). One day, he recieves a phone call from his old parents (Margaret Avery, James Earl Jones), who ask him to come over for their 50th wedding anniversary. With them and his son Jamaal (Damani Roberts) goading him to go, he takes his clan to the Deep South, where old wounds are open, and a crush from the past (Nicole Ari Parker) returns to make RJ question if his glamorous life defines who he is.
I think "Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins" can be compared to Amanda Bynes films: they're really good, but they'll probably appeal to certain audiences and turn off the rest. It's also Martin Lawrence still looking for that "Get Out of Jail" card to apologize for the recent crap he shoved in our faces since the disastrous "Big Momma's House 2". And Malcolm D. Lee, brother of Spike Lee and the birth parent of the blaxploitation spoof/homage "Undercover Brother", is behind the lens. For me, I find the film to be immensely entertaining in a year that began with a couple of crappy films (J-horror films) and underwhelmingly overlooked gems (the new Rambo). And I can always live with that.
The film has been compared to the works of Tyler Perry, someone who makes the most headache-inducing films that African-Americans don't deserve, but see anyway. Here, Lee is looking to really go for broke with an impressive ensemble of comedians including Mike Epps (underwhelmingly underrated), Cedric the Entertainer (coming off the worst film of last year, "Code Name: The Cleaner"), and Mo'Nique (I won't go any further), while bringing in already successful actors like Michael Clarke Duncan (further sharpening his comedy skills post-"Talledega Nights" - who could forget the outtakes!), Margaret Avery (another student of the Ruby Dee school for lovable grandmothers) and James Earl Jones (always a pleasant appearance) to round out the cast.
With that list, how does the film fare? Oh, it's a funny one. While not a gut-buster (some scenes - including a race between RJ and Clyde - seem to drag on), there are a slew of funny scenes. Lee still hones his satirical vision from "UB", and sends up the talk circuit with a no-good cheater (newcomer - I think - Affion Crockett). When he moves on to the meat and bones of the film - the family reunion/anniversary - the film becomes a mixture of Adam Sandler-type schenanigans and urban sitcom wisecracks. That's not to say it's unfunny. You can thank scene stealers like Mo'Nique and Mike Epps for that job (ugh, the bathroom scene is priceless).
It all boils down to Lawrence, however. Still looking to get critics back on his graces after being dissed during the "Black Knight"-"BMH2" era, the comic actor decides to tone it down and play a humbled loser. That allows him to achieve good chemistry between all his co-stars, including a welcome appearance from Nicole Ari Parker, someone who hasn't been seen since the Anthony Anderson disaster, "King's Ransom" (three years were worth it, I might add).
The only problem with the film is its need to grow a heart while being a jovial walk in the park. It's no surprise, since Lee tried his hand at a coming-of-age film ("Roll Bounce"), but someone should've gave him a copy of "Old School", which maintained its funny bone the whole way through. It sort of causes "Welcome Home" to trip a bit, but doesn't derail the film completely. Compared to the recent crop of cruddy urban films released before, this brings back a bit of scrappy charm and respect that black or white audiences can enjoy.
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