Down to Earth

Let this be known first, I'm a huge Chris Rock fan...HUGE. Everytime he opens his mouth, a smile comes across my face as I know he's about to make me laugh. I'm a mark for New Jack City, CB4, Nurse Betty, etc etc. The list goes on and on and I love Pookie...I mean Chris Rock in every role he is in. But his new film, Down to Earth, seemed a little too romantic and not enough humor for Rock, so I approached it differently.

As I laid down my entrance fee for myself and my girlfriend for Down to Earth, I mentally compared it to the cover charge at a local Iowa bar. In both cases, I didn't expect much, and I got exactly what I expected (minus the beer). I wasn't disappointed or let-down, no I was just content with the hour and a half I occupied that movie seat.

But before I get more into my reaction of the movie, here's the basic plot:

-Down to Earth is the story of Lance Burton (Rock), a struggling comedian, who's life is wrongly taken before his time. But Lance comes back as he makes a deal to return in the body of an older white man. Lance still has the hots for Sontee (Regina King) and tries to swoon her despite his new body. Lance also continues to try to live his dream of doing a successful stand-up routine at the Apollo Theater. Comedy and romance ensue as Lance adjusts to his new body.

The comedy of the movie, obviously relys on the culture-clashes which ensue when suddenly an old white man knows all the words to Snoop Dogg's "Gin & Juice" and DMX's "Ruff Ryder Anthem" and of course he begins using urban slang. As "been there and done that" a formula as this is, it doesn't bore as much as you would expect it to. Some parts are just too quality for anyone to resist laughter.

But the comedy struggles at times. Major parts of Rock's jokes in the movie are taken straight from his real-life stand-up routines. Any true fan of Rock is going to attend this movie, but they will sit through parts where everyone else is laughing, thinking to themselves "that was pretty funny the first five times I heard it."

But enough criticism, this movie is exactly what it bills itself to be. It's a cute romantic comedy, period. A movie you and your date can agree on...quite a feat.
Rating: 1/2 out of four.

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