Product Details

• Actors: Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac
• Directors: Spike Lee
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: February 20, 2001
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (106 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000056BR0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,753 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

The Original Kings of Comedy achieves the seemingly impossible task of capturing the rollicking and sly comedy routines of stand-up and sitcom vets Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac and the magic of experiencing a live concert show. Director Spike Lee and his crew plant a multitude of cameras in a packed stadium and onstage (as well as backstage, as they follow the comedians) to catch the vivid immediacy of the show, which is as much about the audience as it is about the jokes. And the jokes are funny.

All four riff fast and furiously (and with much swearing) on the world in terms of race, family, sex, and in one routine, outer space. Hughley takes comedic aim at extreme sports and eating disorders, while Cedric harks back to the day when gang fights meant calling opponents out onto the dance floor. Bernie Mac, the self-confessed id comedian of the group, presents a routine that is simultaneously offensive and hilarious--an apt reminder that comedy can and should be vicious if we are ever to learn to laugh at ourselves and hopefully be the better for it. Harvey, who acts as the MC for the show, has some transcendent moments with the crowd (a '70s slow jam sing-along, anyone?) that have to be seen to be believed. There's no doubt as to why Kings was a hit with concert and movie audiences; the laughs keep coming, in the tradition of Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, with a sharp eye on the nuances of today's racially affected culture. --Shannon Gee

From The New Yorker

Eager to escape the constraints of television, four black comics-Steve Harvey, D. L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac-began touring around the country in 1997, and Spike Lee, using lightweight video cameras, caught their act in Charlotte, North Carolina. The results are pretty much sensational from start to finish: you feel the warmth of a live show and the pleasure the men take in shaping the evening. Steve Harvey can be scathing in a palms-down, slightly fey style of irritated disbelief-reminiscent, in this one respect, of Jack Benny. D. L. Hughley is small and querulous; he burns with the shrill exasperation of the put-upon male. Cedric the Entertainer does soft-bellied dance steps and offers candid imitations of ordinary folks. Bernie Mac, tall, handsome, stentorian, and fearless, says he's past his prime in bed; we don't believe him for a minute, but it's a gracious admission of mortality. Most of the jokes are about sex and family and work, and about shame, too-the humiliations too deep for ordinary people to admit. Among other things, the movie is a tender-dirty love song to women, who, Harvey says, have been scandalously neglected by the hip-hop performers. -David Denby
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A refreshingly light-hearted experience, October 7, 2000

By	mr_bunghole (Toronto) - See all my reviews

I'm going to start the review off with the obvious: this is not a movie, but rather a documentary on the Kings Of Comedy Tour. In other words, a stand-up comedy film. You're probably reading this and wondering "why would anybody sell a collection of comedy skits as a full-length feature film?" See the movie and you'll understand. While no doubt suited for television viewing (partly because they're all on BET), the experience in the theatre gives an overall impression of being there, actually watching Steve Harvey, DL Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac toss their routines live. As for the performers themselves, some of them are downright hilarious - I particularly like Steve Harvey and, of course Bernie Mac - while DL Hughley is kinda so-so, spending most of the time talking about panties and dissing audience members. But even the weaker performances survive because the performers are energetic and bristling with enthusiasm. This ends up making the material seem a lot funnier than it really is. I guarantee you'll find yourself laughing till you're crying over jokes that really aren't all that funny (like me as well as everyone else that was in the theatre). DL Hughley is no doubt decent overall, and Cedric the Entertainer has his shining moments, although as a whole they aren't really anything special. Emcee Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac, on the other hand, are awesome. Steve Harvey's material is actually funny to begin with (I LOVE the Titanic bit at the beginning), but a lot of it is inspiring as well. He manages to find humour in love, spirituality and family life without sounding blasphemous or disrespectful. Most importantly, he means every single word he says, and that connects with the audience all too well when talking about romance and love. As for Bernie Mac: THIS is the skit that makes the movie so good. Without a doubt the star of the show, Bernie talks rudely about his kids and his unique parenting techniques, and pokes fun at other parents. His subject matter can be a little risky, but he never comes through as disrespectful or snarky. Whereas Steve Harvey delivers his skits with pure honesty, Mac's charm comes from the fact that its obvious that not a single word of it is true. This allows him to explore territory that others may be afraid to. As a whole, this movie is highly recommended if you love to laugh. It is an entirely worthwhile way to kill two hours, and I can guarantee you'll leave the theatre (or television) with a gigantic smile on your face.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sickeningly Hilarious!, February 27, 2004

By	Samhot (Star Land) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Original Kings of Comedy (DVD)

This film captures stand-up performances from comedians Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric The Entertainer and Bernie Mac, and is a non-stop laugh-fest in the highest sense of the term. This review is not going to be a very long one - to be rather honest. The humor, of course, revolves around many taboo subjects like racial stereotypes, sex, religion and other things - if you are easily offended by any of these things, I suggest you avoid this film like the plague, because it is no holds barred! A few of the many hilarious scenes that I consider personal favorites from each comedian:

(1). Steve Harvey does a pretty good job of mocking the characters in the Titanic film who choose to keep playing their violins amidst a major catastrophe. He later goes into detail about why he prefers "old-school" music; particularly old-school R&B, over the hip-hop and rap trends that seem to be preferred by the modern generation. He does an effective job of lambasting rappers, and is absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious. I was practically in tears from laughing so hard at this. Needs to be seen to be believed.

(2). D.L. Hughley was hilarious too, but like some have pointed out, some of his routines came from other, earlier stand-up specials. Side note: If you can find a copy of his stand-up comedic special entitled "Going Home," pick it up. That performance I believe to be his funniest, and it leaves me rolling on the floor everytime.

(3). Cedric The Entertainer's humor was the least brash of all the four, and has more of a laid-back, subtle charm, which still manages to make you laugh. The whole break-dance scene was funny, as well as his "cruising into outer space" scene, his self-made "martial art style" scene, and others.

(4). Bernie Mac - good lord. He was without a doubt the craziest, most brash, most (messed)-up comedian in this set. Sadistic and intensely cathartic, even. It's only fitting that he would be the last performer. His routine was just a little too much for me - and still is - and I mean that in the best way possible. His takes on kids and how they get (or should get) punished, sex and orgasm, and the "stuttering" kid were just too much - not only was I laughing too hard, but my lungs began to hurt, I nearly lost my voice for a brief period, and I was nearly out of oxygen. The guy was too much! Saying that he cracked me up would be a HUGE understatement.

All in all, recommended for many who want (or need) a major laugh-fest. Sometimes, one of the best ways - if not the best way - to deal with unpleasant situations in life is to be able to laugh at them - as exemplified in this film. If you suffer from chronic asthma, heart disease, and/or are easily shocked - particularly by the things mentioned in the above paragraphs (including loads of profanity) - stay VERY far away from this - you will be digging yourself an early grave.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply put: THE BEST, January 21, 2001

By	"staffdawg" (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Original Kings of Comedy (DVD)

As you might have read from other reviews, this is not a movie rather than a stand up comedy film. I dare anyone to watch this and not find it funny. If you don't laugh, then you don't have a sense of humor at all. The show is about the concert tour of the same title that was the 2nd highest grossing tour of the year. Steve Harvey is the MC and provides his own touches of brillance throughout the show. His ability to relate to people on all walks of life is evident from the moment he takes the stage. He warms up the crowd for each comedian but the crowd doesn't need it, since you barely regain control from laughing so hard from the last joke you heard. D.L. Hughley is great in this, although I, personally, think that his set could have been alittle better. I had just seen his last comedy special before the movie, so I was alittle jaded. Next is Cedric the Entertainer. The man is awesome. The way the he accents his jokes with phyiscal style is brillant. To top off the show is Bernie Mac. Simply put, he steals the show. I could not stop laughing when he was on. To not own this DVD is a crime. I will be the first in line to get it when it arrives. You should do the same. I hope this helps.