Soul Men

Soul Man is was it is... crude, rude, and genuinely funny. It has two of the hardest working actors in showbiz - the late great Bernie Mac and Samuel L Jackson as two has been soul stars on a road trip to a funeral / tribute concert of the late great Marcus Hook (John Legend).

This is comedy at full speed, it makes no apologies and takes no prisoners - but is also genuinely full of laughs.

All in all I think Mac wouldn't mind this being his last movie - never a man for great subtlety here the pair look like they had a lot of fun making this and the best bits are the improv off-script rants.

It's no comedic masterpiece, and the plot is cheesy, and the whole thing is just a beer and pizza adventure - but you have to admire the energy and fun.

A fitting tribute to Bernie Mac who loved life and people and was a very very, very hard-working stand-up comic.

I had a chance to see an advance screening of Soul Men and I must say it's a highly enjoyable comedy that's a true testament to the comedic skills of both Samuel L. Jackson and the late great Bernie Mac. The trailer pretty much explains the plot, so there's no need to go into detail here but I will say that more than music the film for me was about the friendship between the characters portrayed by Mac & Jackson. Jackson who in my opinion has never handled lead comedic roles very well has a chance to shine here. As for Mac in his last role he's in top form and the comedic chemistry of the two is reminiscent of the Bill Cosby & Sidney Poitter vehicles of the seventies. As for the supporting roles Affion Crockett has a few scene stealing moments and the lovely Sharon Leal continues to make a name for herself. The direction by Malcolm D. Lee is sharp and on par with his previous films Roll Bounce & Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, while the script by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone is the duo's best script since 1999's Life. Watching the end credits of the film which is a heart warming tribute to Mac we given in a chance to look into a man who was more than a comic but an entertainer who loved his craft. Soul Men is a film filled with plenty of soul and is easily one of Mac's best films.

Wow. Who knew that before the release of this film we would lose both Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac in August of the same year, one day apart! Bernie on August 9, 2008 and Isaac on August 10, 2008.

"Soul Men" didn't feature Isaac Hayes but a little, it was truly about Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd Henderson (Bernie Mac), two old school legends who lit up the charts back in the 60's and 70's with a group called The Real Deal. Sometime in the early 70's they broke up and went separate ways. The lead singer of the group, Marcus Hooks (John Legend), went on to be a solo star, Floyd went on to open a successful car wash business, and Louis went on to be hooked on drugs and alcohol and rob a bank.

When Marcus (Legend) died and VH1 wanted to do a tribute to him, they called upon the surviving two members of The Real Deal. Floyd (Mac) was ready and willing whereas Louis (SLJ) wanted no part of it. Through coaxing, cajoling, and pretty much bribery, Floyd got Louis to agree to go to New York's Apollo Theater for the tribute.

If it wasn't already a funny movie, it certainly got funnier when Mac and Jackson got together MF'ing their way through a road trip. No one can MF like SLJ, but Mac certainly gave him a run for his money. This movie was genuinely entertaining and funny, I'm just saddened that I won't be able to see Mac and Jackson together again.

These are some smoooooth dudes!

Great little film that has good music and good laughs, the first comeback show is hilarious.

There is not a lot that needs to be said here...if you enjoy the actors, like good music and a laugh then this is a YES :)

Last movie from Bernie Mac, a great comedian that will be missed by everybody. His stand-up comedies were great, his show The Bernie Mac Show went on for a long time but was very funny and never got boring. Different comedies like Bad Santa will forever remain in my favourites. For this last movie Bernie Mac forms a duo with Samuel L. Jackson and that worked out very well. There's a good chemistry between them, it' was enjoyable to watch. Soul Men might not be the funniest of his movies but it was good to watch him one more time. Even if there was a bit too much singing in my opinion, it's still good enough. Rest in peace Bernie, you brought a lot of smiles to people faces.