Soul Men (2008)

Genre

Comedy | Music

Director

Malcolm D. Lee

Country

USA

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Sharon Leal, Sean Hayes, Affion Crockett, Adam Herschman, Fatso-Fasano, Jackie Long, John Legend, Jennifer Coolidge, Isaac Hayes, Mike Epps, Millie Jackson, Sara Erikson, Vanessa del Rio, Randy Jackson

Storyline

When R&B legend Marcus Hooks (John Legend) suddenly dies, his original back up do, Floyd Henderson (Bernie Mac) and Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson), "The Real Deal", are invited to appear at a memorial tribute at the Apollo Theater. With bad blood between them, the two men agree to participate, and now must sort out the past.

Opinion

Failing in playing a fair tribute to Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, Soul Men is a rambling comedy offering some laughs, and good music.

Considering the musical aspect only, you can easily say the film is well done. In fact the most interesting moments of the movies are those in which Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac and their beautiful voices perform, by singing and swaying.

Unfortunately the rest of the story feels forced, and despite it delivers a few chuckles here and there, the result is not satisfying. There is just too much going on - the reunion of the two friends, the discovery of a daughter -, but soul hasn't been used to tell the story.

Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone's script repeats itself using always the same expression, fills the dialogue with bad language and relies on jokes about Viagra, and infidelity.

As for the cast, the leading duo Jackson-Mac has a good comical chemistry, and it's a real shame that they won't team up again.

Another real shame is that this is Bernie Mac's last film, and I really hoped for something better than this.