Dysfunktional Family

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amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write("<a href=javascript:popUp('http://buybox.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=reelmoviecriticc&link_code=qcb&creative=23424&camp=2025&path=/dt/assoc/tg/aa/xml/assoc/-/B00008BRBA/reelmoviecriticc/ref=ac_bb1_,_amazon')><img src=http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/remote-buy-box/buy1.gif border=0 alt='Buy from Amazon.com' ></a>"); document.close(); </script> <noscript> <form method="POST" action="http://buybox.amazon.com/o/dt/assoc/handle-buy-box=B00008BRBA"> <input type="hidden" name="asin.B00008BRBA" value="1"> <input type="hidden" name="tag-value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="hidden" name="tag_value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="image" name="submit.add-to-cart" value="Buy from Amazon.com" border="0" alt="Buy from Amazon.com" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/add-to-cart.gif"> </form> </noscript>  </B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>DysFunktional Family</B> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Wingdings 2" ><B>êêê</B></FONT><B>1/2  </B> ( R ) </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By Demetrius Payne</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 ><NOBR><div> <B>And you thought YOUR family tree had some NUTS!</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="577" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="258"><div> Eddie Griffin </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="308"><div> Directed by George Gallo </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: Eddie Griffin shines in his element & shares the spotlight with his VERY interesting family in this highly entertaining movie.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> I've seen Eddie Griffin doing stand-up for many years & always thought he was funny, but his stock grew with me after the release of <I><B>Undercover Brother</B></I>. His performance in that movie solidified him as one of the funniest comedians in movies today.   Please, don't confuse this with actors who do roles in comedies.  Anybody can tell a joke, but stand-up comedy takes a different kind of animal & there aren't many comedians who can act.</div> <bR> <div> I was so pleased to learn that Griffin was returning to his roots by releasing a stand-up comedy concert movie.  The extra gravy on the side comes with shots of Eddie's family throughout the movie.  There's Uncle Curtis, who has a porn collection (including some where HE'S the star) that rivals Larry Flint's, & then there's Uncle Buckey.  Uncle Buckey is the recovering heroine addict/pimp/gangster.  But the real jewel of the Griffin crown is Eddie's mother.  The same mother who would hit little Eddie with belts, shoes, tree branches called "switches," & also tried to run him over with her car (all in the name of motherly love).  </div> <bR> <div> Characters like this in a movie would normally make me mad, but since these are real people, they add real color to this movie.  That's where this film earns its high marks with me.  We <B>all</B> have dysfunctional families; even the tightest family units have some loose screws. This movie targets those people who aren't uptight about it, plus it illustrates how Eddie overcame those obstacles. Eddie picks his audience well & goes right for `em.  If you're not a fan of stand-up in general or Eddie Griffin specifically, don't waste your time.  However, I must say that I left the theater with sore cheeks from laughing so much & people in the screening I attended were high-fiving each other & laughing so hard I missed some jokes.</div> <div>      </div> <div> Now this movie is no <I>Richard Pryor, Live on Sunset Strip</I> or even Eddie Murphy's classic <I>Raw</I> & <I>Delirious</I> movies, but Eddie G. is still one crazy, funny man. The only time he loses me is when he launches into the trite, "A white man walks like this…but a brotha' walks like this…" routine.  I mean, c'mon, enough already, that is so 90's! But other than that, great moments rule. Live action is mixed in with the post-production to create some slick effects in my opinion, for what looked like a shoestring budget</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: In my lifetime Richard Pryor was the first black comedian who went from the stage to the screen. After him there was Eddie Murphy, then Martin Lawrence, & close on Lawrence's heels is Chris Rock. I think that's great because knowing some aspiring stand-up comedians myself, I know how hard it can be & I love to see people follow their dreams to fame & fortune.  </div> <bR> <div> The problem comes when comedians forget where they came from & try to be what they are not. Chris Rock is a prime example; I've said it before…Chris Rock cannot act.  I've even read it in interviews where he's said as much, but he keeps making bad movie after bad movie (<I>Pootietang</I> & <I>Down to Earth</I> being prime examples).  Granted he struck gold with his last movie <I><B>Head of State,</B></I> as it scored the number one movie in America honors on opening weekend. But how much more entertaining would it be if he used his 18 years of comedy experience & put it on display in its best form?  I've always wanted to grab Chris by his scrawny shoulders & say, "Don't <I>ACT</I> like you're funny, <B>BE</B> funny." "DysFunktional Family" does not fall into that trap.  Its is a very funny movie.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Rated R for strong sexual content, language and drug-related humor.</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> Demetrius Payne © 2003</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> <A HREF="houseopayne1@hotmail.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="houseopayne1@hotmail.com"><U><U>houseopayne1@hotmail.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>Mini Filmography </B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="587" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 55 WIDTH="286"><div> Eddie Griffin-"<B>Undercover Brother" </B>"My Baby's Momma"</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> George Gallo-"Uncoupled"</div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>