Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Silly and crude but pretty darn funny, September 22, 2003
I came to appreciate this movie a little more after a second viewing. Sure, it's a really, really dumb movie, and Tim Meadows' Saturday Night Live character Leon Phelps, aka The Ladies' Man, is stretched just about as far as he can be without snapping, but there are laughs to be found here, and the film really isn't as raunchy as you might think. Leon Phelps is the perpetual 70s swinger who dispenses all of his wisdom in the ways of love on his own late night radio program. A lot of that wisdom involves some rather unsavory advice, most of it involving "da butt" in some fashion, and Leon soon finds himself out of work alongside his attractive producer Julie (Karyn Parsons, who turns in a pretty impressive performance). Unable to find a new radio job, Leon's troubles only increase when his womanizing ways make him the target of a group of men looking for the guy who seduced all their wives. SNL's Will Farrel turns in a particularly memorable performance as the ring leader of the group and a really, really devoted Greco-Roman wrestler whose wife somehow doesn't understand his need to get oiled up and practice wrestling day and night with his friend Bryan. With so much going on in his life, will Leon find the answer to all his money woes with a "Sweet Thing" from his past (if he can only remember which one of his former ladies she is), or will true love sneak up on him and make him a changed man? The Ladies' Man features some notable names in its cast list: e.g., Tiffani Amber-Thiessen, Julianne Moore (in an inexplicable little cameo), and the ultimate ladies' man himself, Billie Dee Williams. Billie Dee's presence lends a sense of class that is altogether missing without him, although he does play a prominent role in an unforgettable and hilarious practical joke of pretty crude proportions. When it comes right down to it, The Ladies' Man must be judged in terms of its comedic aspects, and I have to say I found the movie quite funny. If you found Tim Meadows' Ladies Man character on Saturday Night Live funny, odds are you will enjoy this movie.
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, November 29, 2003
Leon Phelps, (Tim Meadows) the self proclaimed sex guru and woman extraordinare who hosts a Chicago radio show just giving advice on sex is in for it... A support group for the spouses and boyfriends of women he has cheated with has even been started and they are on a mission, to find the man they call "The Man With the Smiley Ass Tatoo." once they have accomplished this, supporting actor Lance DeLune (Will Ferell), olympic wrestler and apparently gay leader of the group, has a goal to rid Leon of his extremedies. This movie is absolutely hillarious, it depicts Leon and the troubles his on air obscenities get him into, such as being fired and fired once again and rejected and rejected and rejected from job after job after job. Leon and his beautiful assistant cannot seem to find work anywhere and furthermore, Leon is unable to pay for his houseboat which he has dubbed his "Skanktuary". But just when it seems like Leon has hist rock bottom, a miracle happens, he receives a letter from his "Sweet Thing" which is what he calls every woman, who says she is very rich and wants to run away with Leon because she so loved the times they shared together. The only problem is Leon has no idea who his sweet thing is and must set out on a quest to find her. If you love the SNL skit, you are positively sure to love this, but even if you have never seen the SNL skit, you are positively sure to love this; unless of course, you are among the few who hate crude and sexual humor... Then you will hate this. This film really does not have a deep plot, and this is good every once in a while. To relax and watch a funny, easy movie is, at times, much more fun than watching an academy award picture, AND THIS IS DEFINITLEY ONE OF THEM!!!!
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"The Ladies LOVE Leon Phelps!", September 11, 2004
The under-appreciated, extremely talented Tim Meadows finally got his moment in the big screen spotlight with 2000's "The Ladies Man." The film may not have been a commercial hit, but in terms of delivering good-hearted, somewhat risque laughs, it's a huge success. Naturally, Tim plays Leon Phelps, his popular Saturday Night Live character aptly dubbed, "The Ladies' Man." Perhaps to avoid repetition from earlier SNL theatrical outings, in the movie Leon is made the host of a radio call-in show, rather than a television show as in the well-known Saturday Night Live skits. Nothing else has changed, however, as Leon is still the same light-hearted, lisping, clueless swinger, with the right answers to all your romantic queries. Unfortunately, Leon's answers are often flat out wrong, not to mention highly offensive. And when his keen interest in "da butt" gets him in trouble one time too many, he and his producer, Julie Simmons (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Karyn Parsons), find themselves on the search for a new radio station to work for. Leon is sidetracked from the seemingly hopeless job-hunt, however, when a letter from a mystery woman promises to solve his money problems forever. If only he knew which of his many past "Sweet Things" the letter was from! And this isn't the sum of our leading man's problems. Leon is also being hunted down by an armed organization of vengeful husbands, the "Victims of the Smiling Ass." It seems that Leon has a habit of including unsatisfied, married women amongst his many conquests, and the smiley face tattoo on his derriere is the only clue the V.S.A. has to his identity, but that will change before the story is over. Leon will find himself having to confront the vicious mob, his unwillingness to take on responsibility, and his feelings for his disenchanted producer, Julie, all at the same time!
In the end, everything works out well for Leon, if rather inexplicably. But that's not the important thing. As with so many other films centered around outrageous characters like Leon Phelps, the main focus is the humor of the quirky personality in the starring role, not the plot. Leon's hilarious appearance, speech impediment, and outlook on life are the reasons to watch "The Ladies Man," and they're so entertaining that they are reason enough! The supporting cast is nothing to gloss over, though. As with any SNL movie, the film is studded with cameos and spot-on casting choices for the purpose of getting the most "ha" out of your "ha-has." The legendary Billy Dee (Lando) Williams is outstanding as the smooth talking bartender/narrator who recounts a back-story for Leon that fits the character to the bill. John Witherspoon never fails to crack me up, as he does here in the very funny role of "Scrap Iron." Lee Evans of "Mouse Hunt" is a personal fave too, and a couple of "Kids In the Hall" alumni also make the scene! Of course, Will Ferrell is a comedic genius, even in the old comedy standby of a closet homosexual hiding behind machismo. Sure, it's a cliche, but Ferrell seems to know it, and makes it funny for that very reason! As funny and charismatic as they all are, though, this movie belongs entirely to Tim Meadows. This is HIS baby, and it's well worth picking up for repeat enjoyment. The DVD is practically bare bones, but it does include some cast and crew interviews, a theatrical trailer, and is presented in widescreen format, and those are the important things. Highly recommended for a night of laughs, time and time again!
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
See all Editorial Reviews
DVD ~ Reg E. Cathey
DVD ~ Chris Kattan
DVD ~ Phe Caplan
DVD ~ Christian Albrizio
