User reviews

Bernie Mac was great, he stole the show. Bernie was funny from the time he started to the time he ended. I thought Cedric was neck the neck with Bernie, but Cedric had a couple of duds, although he was great. I would go see this again just to see Bernie and Cedric.

Now I usually do not like the comedy stylings of Steve Harvey. In this film however he is at his best. The film has some great laughs from beginning to end. When this first came out I must have heard the jokes a million times. They never stop being funny.

This film is great if you are in need of a pick me up. Everybody needs a good laugh sometime and this is where you can get them.

The success of this tour surprised many whom were not familiar with these comedians, mainly because they are superstars on the African-American, not mainstream, comedy circuit. These men are funny as hell! The TV shows they appear or have appeared on do not give them the freedom to turn loose like they do in this film. One of the best sequences was when Harvey complained about rap and urban contemporary music (he was so right!) and gave respect to old school R&B. This is absolutely the best comedy that was released all summer.

I must admit I did laugh many times during `The Original Kings Of Comedy.' This Spike Lee joint features stand up routines from Steve arvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac. These 4 comedians have received more public attention from all ethnic groups because of the film. But I guess when Spike Lee could hook it up for you to be in his movie than it is `good to be the king.' **** Good

this movie had me laughing to the point where i found it hard to breath. some jokes are risqué and a little raunchy, but then so is life. this movie can be watched safely by adults young and old as i can attest to as i watched it confidently with my mother (!) who was in tears. everyone i know who has watched it tells me stories of laughing to dangerous extremes. one friend watching it in a less than crowded theatre was concerned she might choke and there would be no one to save her! each comedian has strong memorable material that rings true. my only problem with it is finding it on the sightread in the UK, better distribution of all "black" movies please.

The Kings of Comedy is like rush hour traffic....stop..go...stop...go....then all of a sudden...PEDAL TO THE FLOOR when bernie mac came on!!!!! Geared to a black audience...as most Spike Lee "Joints" are, Kings of Comedy had some hilarious jokes in it...and some that were just the same recycled humor you hear on BET every weekend You have to have a sense of humor going into the movie and cannot be easily offended by off-color jokes and especially (KEY POINT HERE)jokes about the caucasian persuasion..it is just entertainment!!! Steve Harvey does a good job MCing the show..while D.L. Hughley is ok in his bits...Cedric the Entertainer was mostly disappointing as he didnt seem to come up with anything new for his act...but Bernie Mac stole the show! See it just for Bernie...he makes it all worthwhile!

If you enjoy stand up-these were certainly the "Kangs"-as Steve said:) They take you back to recall your history, childhood, life. The subjects are funny because you know people like those they mimic, or are like who they comment on! Simply this film shows us why these men have remained the top of the most funny (alive) male comedians for as long as they have. As the man above,don't try to "review" this as a movie with plot, character development, etc. Steve Harvey was the Host so his sets were throughout and he had his own later.It's a reel of a night of standup-THAT'S ALL! These men are Funny-You can see the reaction of the crowd as they get that "You know that's right" moment, or have to get up and do that "dance-laugh" cos they will have you rollin! I can watch it every time and the reaction is the same(gut laughs)-my whole family is nearly in tears watchin Ced and Bernie. These men are crazy funny fools! Just watch it and see how much you laugh...I hope you "get it"-it's just COMEDY! It was also nice to see them off-stage and see the real relationship, brotherly bonds between adult black men who have done good with their lives! Entertainment at it's finest.

I have to admit that I just watched "The Original Kings of Comedy" for the first time. I found a lot of dead on observations presented in such funny ways that I laughed a bunch. However, while I found Bernie Mac interesting to watch and listen to, I didn't laugh when he was on. And while Hugley and Cedric made me laugh a few times each, I was mostly observing and making mental notes about their material and delivery. It was non other than Steve Harvey who cracked me up almost the whole time, every time he was on stage. I'll admit that I'm just a generic white guy with a very limited knowledge of the black experience, but, it seems to me, if Harvey could keep me laughing that much, the other three could have been able to give me a lot more motivation to laugh as well. Until now, I figured that Harvey must be considered a lower tier comedian than the others, since he hasn't gotten the TV sitcoms and other primo gigs that they have. And, as he was just the MC here, it would seem that the producer and director thought the same thing. But, as far as I'm concerned, he not only stole this show, he owned it!

Some people don't get it but BLACK people love the kings of comedy. Makes you laugh till you cry. I've seen this a hundred times and I still laugh!

I did not learn much about the four black comedians in the movie, and I did not learn much about black/white race relations. And the editting was quite annoying - inserting clips of audience members laughing raucously.

I suggest you stay at home and watch the Chris Rock Show on HBO if you want brilliance and insight and laughs.

I"m sorry but I am not on this bandwagon at all. There were good moments, but overall it just wasn't all that at all. I rarely laughed. MOst of it was 'humourous' but not fall out of your chair and roll on the ground funny. Don't waste your time with this. You've got better things to do.

As a sometime stand-up comic, it was a great treat that this summer brought a big-name stand-up concert film, namely Spike Lee's "The Original Kings of Comedy". The film, a record of the highest-grossing comedy tour of all time, is not revolutionary and says nothing new about comedy or those who practice it. But it's chock-full of laughs, magnetism, and good, rollicking fun.

The concert in "Original Kings" was taped at Charlotte, North Carolina's Charlotte Coliseum, and it's a great testament to the often unfairly neglected stand-up art that comedy performers could fill such a prodigious space. The MC of the evening, who holds forth from an elaborately decorated stage set, is the WB's Steve Harvey, who has a wonderfully exasperated stage persona and a voice full of gusto as he sounds off about the stupidity of Rae Carruth, the idiosyncracies of black church elders, and the asininity of the band on the Titanic playing as the ship went down. He's got a rip-roaring sense of energy that gets the show started on a good note.

D.L. Hughley's set is perhaps the lowlight of the film. His delivery is not as punchy as that of the other performers, and unlike Harvey, he seems to use profanity as a crutch rather than as a proper comedy tool. Still, his performance has its moments, and he's likable enough that his onstage time doesn't get too dull.

Fortunately, things pick up when Cedric the Entertainer, a big, cuddly bear of a guy in a chocolate brown fedora, takes the stage. His set is the highlight of the film, full of sharp commentary about Tiger Woods, blacks on the space shuttle, and the particulars of a "ghetto wedding". He fills the stage with his expansive body language, and his silly dance interludes are among the best moments in the picture. Someone should give this guy his own TV show, and fast.

Closing things out is Bernie Mac, an abrasive, raspy-voiced, pop-eyed provocateur whose act is the most down-in-the-dirt of all the performers featured. His riffs on the virtues of beating children, the problem of living with a gay six-year-old nephew, and the importance of a certain twelve-letter-word to the black vocabulary, are sometimes more hostile than funny, but his gritty delivery and fast pace socks the best jokes home nicely. Besides, the audience in the theatre where I saw the film gave him applause at the end of his set, the only performer onscreen they did that for, so who am I to argue?

Lee's direction sometimes gets in the way of the performers, with showy camera moves that distract from the words. The film is at its best when Lee's cameraman, Malik Sayeed, just plops his camera down and lets the comics do their stuff. There are some nice reaction shots of the crowd, who are clearly having a great time, and the way that the laughter of the onscreen audience blends with that of the people in the theatre really makes you feel like you're part of the show.

"The Original Kings of Comedy" is not as great as earlier stand-up films like "Bill Cosby Himself" or "Eddie Murphy Raw", films that fell together more cohesively than this one does. Still, if you're looking for some Friday night laughs, you would be well advised to head to the theatre and hail to the Kings.

One thing that needs to be understood from the get-go:

This is a BLACK FILM. It was made by, and for, Black people.

This is not to say that White people cannot or will not enjoy the film, but the comedy in this movie revolves around Black culture and the condition of Black people in America.

I don't mean to harp on a point that may seem obvious, but the fact that this is advertised as "A Spike Lee joint" may be a bit deceiving since many of his films, though they may center around and star Black people, often contain timeless themes that are universal in scope and understanding.

Anyway... had to get that out of the way.

It kinda depends on how you look at this. There were many, MANY moments in the film that, looking back, were the highlight of my week. I mean, just drop-dead, laughing-so-hard-you're-losing-your-voice-and-you-can-barely-breathe funny. My personal favorite of the four comedians was Cedric the Entertainer. His was the most clean, and his laid back style is personally the most appealing to me. He has one bit about how folks start running without explanation... oooooowweeee... just thinking about it makes my sides hurt.

Steve Harvey came in at a close second. He's got more of a ranting style. It's funny. And surprisingly, although he also cusses a lot, sometimes that even enhances the humor because it's so absurdly inappropriate. At one point he's talking about the good ol' days of soul music, and he's like, "Listen to these godd@mn lyrics!"

DL Hughley and Bernie Mac, I didn't like as much. Both of them had a lot of sexual humor that I didn't find that funny. They both had their moments (especially Hughley) but neither one were especially hilarious. Hughley also spent a lot of time doing his trademark anti-heckler business, cracking on people in the crowd. Some of it was funny, but not very.

In general, if you are like me and not a fan of people using the F-word gratuitously, you might find this movie somewhat unsatisfying. Bernie Mac especially spent the last portion of his bit trying to explain his use of the F-word and at the same time trying to make it sound like it's a staple of Black culture. If a White comedian would have done that, I would have resented it. Because Bernie Mac is Black, and because there were apparently many people in the theater in which it was taped (and in the movie theater where I sat) for whom that bit seemed to resonate, I just had to sit there and feel slightly ashamed. It was the same feeling I had throughout 1/3rd of "Scary Movie."

I wouldn't (and didn't) spend full-price on it, but it was still a good time.

I rented this movie with some expectations. I expected to see four of the best comedians out there at the top of their games, and I did see three of them. Steve Harvey just didn't measure up to Bernie Mac, Hughley, or Cedric. Every time Harvey came out, the film ground to a halt, as much of his routine seemed forced. The last time I saw Steve Harvey on television I laughed quite a bit. Here he seems to be trying too hard to swear at the expense of his routine. Mac, Hughley, and Cedric the Entertainer all swore as well, but their routines had me on the floor. My favorite parts were when Hughley was talking about work and when Bernie Mac was talking about everything (it was so right to have Bernie Mac on last). I came into this movie not ever having heard any of their routines, and came away appreciating their comedy very much. If you're interested, I do recommend it because it's a very funny movie. Parts of this film measure up to some of Richard Pryor's best work. In my opinion, Steve Harvey falls flat, and that surprised me.

TOKOC take one back to the days of Richard Pryor , Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock. Steve Harvery, Cedric The Enetariner, DL Hughley and Berine Mac are all hilarous in these movie. The comedy by these four gentlemen is hialrous and Spike Lee digital camera direction is top notch. I give these film ***** out of *****.

My only comment this time will have to be, that even though these stand up comedians are of a very high standard I've heard much better in episodes of Def Comedy Jam. The only other thing that bothered me was Cedric's performance because most of it was copied from an episode of Def Jam in which he was the host. rating: 6/10

2 hours of incredible comedy from 4 incredible comedians.

Easily the best comedy showcase since Eddie Murphy "Raw", possibly since Bill Cosby's "Himself". If you have never seen these stars perform their stand-up before, you are really missing out. The only problem with this "film" is the "filming" itself. I use quotes because this movie was recorded entirely with digital cameras, which, at times, look like your mom's video tape of your 8th grade school play. I don't understand how Spike Lee can even credit himself in this movie. It doesn't take a genius to put a camera on the front of the stage and periodically pan to the crowd. (-Groundbreaking work, Spike! ) In conclusion, this is the best comedy film I've seen in years even if it does look like 1985 CBS file footage of an NBA game.

I had no idea from watching their bland sitcoms that these performers were capable of some incredibly funny observations. While targeted at African-Americans, the humor can be appreciated by anyone willing to laugh at cultural differences. The theme of the American racial divide runs throughout the film and the four performer's acts. Nothing hateful is said about any group (with the possible exception of some remarks made by Bernie Mac having to do with homosexuals), and a good time can be had by all.

Steve Harvey is a brilliant performer, and he blends standard rehearsed material with jokes he was apparently making up on the spot for the audience. Cedric the Entertainer had some wonderfully inspired material as well. My favorite performance came from D. L. Hugely, who's humor hit really close to home for me. I was less impressed with Bernie Mac, who's style is a bit meaner than the other three performers. Mac is a funny guy, but after the more light-hearted material of the 3 prior comedians it was difficult to shift gears into his sharp, angry style.

Directed by Spike Lee, this film puts its emphasis on the performances of the so-called "Kings" (or as Harvey put it: "Kayngs"). Very little of the film is spent outside of the actual concert. Interview clips are only a few minutes long, and are not so much interviews as extentions of the performances. (Slightly more insightful footage is used as supplemental material on the DVD.) This is not a movie about a concert or a tour, this is a 2 hour comedy special. It's good for some laughs, but don't expect anything else.

This was a very disappointing comedy show. It wasn't even so much the profanity or vulgar scenarios that they were discussing that bothered me (because I love Chris Rock's work so much), but instead it was more the way that these four men presented themselves and represented themselves on stage. The self-proclaimed ringleader of them all, Steve Harvey, was the worst. The fact that he didn't even have enough material to survive on stage was pathetic enough. That set the tone for the rest of the film that was not a positive tone. His cheap monologue was filled with community insults and personal insults to the audience. I know they may have been all in fun and jest, but to me it never really came across as fun. Either Harvey was upset with the audience presented to him, or he just wasn't ready for his moment on stage, but it just came across as a completely different person than I was expecting. The same can be said for all of them whom were somewhat more concerned about their image than the jokes that they were telling.

I don't know why Lee chose this project to place his name on and why he proclaimed these four to be the "Original Kings of Comedy." To me that is a bit misleading. If he is speaking about African Americans being a part of comic culture, then I don't think these were the four to best represent it. What about Eddie Murphy, Red Foxx, or even the great Richard Prior? What about Bill Cosby? There just seemed to be a self-proclaimed stigma already attached to this project before we even began it that was hurt with the opening of each of their mouths. I was not impressed by any of them. If I had one dollar to give to one of them for their performance from the evening, and was forced to hand it to one of them, it would have been Cedric the Entertainer. He just seemed the most genuine of them all. His performance on stage was honest, yet bold all at the same time. He was talking to the audience, not above them, as the other performers seemed. While I don't think he was the most liked in the audience, I did think that he was the most talented of them all.

Another huge problem that I had with this film was the cut sequences. You know, the moments that we spend talking to them off-stage about their lives and opportunity ahead. This tries to give them a sense of humanity, showing the audience this different side to them than when they are on stage, but what I witnessed was something a bit scarier. It seemed as if each was trying to grab the attention of the camera. Were we dealing with a group of camera hogs that were willing to step on anyone to get to the next level? Whether it is true or not, nothing is said to speak otherwise. While these were created to show their brotherhood, it felt more like filler delaying the inevitable consequence that we were going to go back to a sub-par routine. It was like a tease that hurt.

Overall, I was not impressed. I have seen some comedians take an opportunity like this and blow it out of the ballpark, but what I saw with this documentary were four men (possibly five if you count Spike) that just wanted the opportunity to showcase their talent. They were not interested in the audience, or in trying to actually be funny, but instead just be on television. Notice that most of them are doing well now after the release of this film, which means that something worked. I just wish that they had put the same excitement behind their work in this film. From utter confusion to just downright profanity (without a joke), these guys felt as if they were "winging it" instead of demonstrating to us the power of their trade. I was embarrassed for everyone involved, even the people in the audience, but hope that others will see this review and take heed … The Original Kings of Comedy is not worth the time or effort that you are going to put into it. If they are not willing to work to make me laugh … than why should I laugh?

Grade: ** out of *****

Forget what the last guy said about this movie. If you're looking to pee your pants laughing, then this is the movie for you. Spike Lee is a genius no matter what anyone says. This happens to be one of my favorite movies in the world. You couldn't ask for a better line-up. I had a new found respect for each of these comedians after watching this movie. I strongly recommend you buy this movie. It is worth every penny. If I have to add any criticism, I would say that Cedric "the Entertainer" could have been a little funnier. However, he still gave a great memorable show. After watching his act, you'll understand why they call him "the enteratiner. Awesome movie no matter what the critics say.

I thought Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer were laugh your butt off funny. I'd love to hang out with them any day of the week. Unfortunately, having them on there showed what light-weights the other two guys are. D.L. Hughley is not in their league, but he's a "name" so I understand why he was on there. The fourth guy (I don't even remember his name) was so bad, I kept hoping Steve Harvey would come on stage and interrupt. So much for wishful thinking.

The movie would have been much better if it was just Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer doing their thing.

I rented this locally for only $2 and it would have been funnier for me to watch my $2 blow away out the window on the way to pick up this filth-ridden piece of boredom. I didnt laugh once. I watch BET sometimes and have by amused by that channel's comedy shows, but if these guys are the "kings" - look out commoners, and guys as the sayin goes "don't give up your day jobs!".

A long segment making fun of a supposed homosexual child nephew and beating children with the frequent use of the "MF" swear was particularly disturbing. Not a one of these guys is funny and Spike Lee...I am laughing at you for spending time with this dreck!

This was a great stand-up movie, and it's wonderful that stand-up is coming back in this form. I have been exposed to stand-up ever since I was a little kid, and I have seen the evolution of stand go from 90 min concert movies like this one, down to 1 hour specials, and even down to 30 min specials as well. And The Kings bring back a variety show for us in the movie format, and the result is a masterpiece.

For those of you who only saw racism in the jokes, then you really weren't paying attention to what was being said, and knowing the attention span of the average American, that's not hard to believe. Did anyone notice that the WHITE people in the audience were laughing just as hard as the black? I think that it's because most of us white folks can take a joke, and understand that the comic is really playing around, without doing a "my god, that's a racist remark" defense that many people here seem to be doing. What these men were doing with comparing black and white is NO DIFFERENT than when Jeff Foxworthy compares and contrasts rednecks and sophisticated people.

Now, the fact that the comics were using stereotypes...hmmm. How do I say this? Folks, I have collected comedians for years, and my collection spans from CD's, DVD and VHS tapes. I have comedians that few people have heard of. My collection spans over both genders, different nationalities and ethnic groups, and I must say that every comedian needs to joke about something that the audience can and will understand, and stereotypes are the key thing to do just that, because everyone understands stereotypes. And besides, some comedians will even take a common stereotype and make it their act...Tim Allen used the stereotype of the man's man; Roseanne Barr used the disgruntled housewife, and Jeff Foxworthy used the redneck angle. Now, a comedian can go without stereotypes, but he/she runs the risk of losing the audience. And besides, it's not the stereotype that makes the joke, it's the exaggeration behind the joke.

And as far as the comedians in the movie here, they really strive for a good show. Steve Harvey did great jokes, and even did things, that while not really funny, were great entertainment, like when he was playing samples of different songs for the audience. Hughley was funny as well, especially when he was interacting with the audience. The other two comics I have never sen before, but I have no complaints, as they round out the show nicely. Each comic owned the stage when they were on it, and they would be hard to top. And folks, I like Chris Rock, but he wasn't as funny as these guys are, simply because he tries waaay too hard, and these guys are just here having fun.

A great performance by some great comics, and I would recommend this to anyone. A+++++