Directed by Chris Rock

You know how a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup sometimes misses the mark? Sure, the chocolate and peanut butter go great together most of the time, but every so often it just doesn’t quite gel and you realize you should have had either a bar of chocolate or a peanut butter sandwich, instead. That’s exactly how this movie went down for me. Rock tries valiantly to straddle two different movies and make them work together. One is a broad fish-out-of-water comedy about a filthy rich megastar going home to his extremely humble roots (broad enough to include some over-the-top gross out jokes). The other is a look at the cult of personality and how the bonds of expectation stifle creative exploration. Oh…and I suppose there is a third film about the nature of sobriety and celebrity. Alas, as a result, none of it is terribly satisfying. There are some hilarious moments and the cameos… DMX and Seinfeld, especially… are brilliant. And kudos to Mr. Rock on the effort! It’s not bad! Not by a long shot – in fact, it’s worth seeing, since, as always, your mileage may vary.

Originally reviewed on 12/24/2015