Cast – Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Titus Burgess, Da’Vine Joy Randolph & Wesley Snipes

Director – Craig Brewer

Genre – Drama/Comedy

Running Time – 1h 58m

The Stung by a string of showbiz failures, floundering comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Academy Award nominee Eddie Murphy) has an epiphany that turns him into a word-of-mouth sensation: step onstage as someone else. Borrowing from the street mythology of 1970s Los Angeles, Moore assumes the persona of Dolemite, a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. However, his ambitions exceed selling bootleg records deemed too racy for mainstream radio stations to play.

Moore convinces a social justice-minded dramatist (Keegan-Michael Key) to write his alter ego a film, incorporating kung fu, car chases, and Lady Reed (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), an ex-backup singer who becomes his unexpected comedic foil. Despite clashing with his pretentious director, D’Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), and countless production hurdles at their studio in the dilapidated Dunbar Hotel, Moore’s Dolemite becomes a runaway box office smash and a defining movie of the Blaxploitation era.

It’s interesting to note that the movie is dedicated to Murphy’s late older brother, Charlie. When Murphy was a teenager — already performing stand-up like his idol, Richard Pryor — Charlie came home raving about a movie where the namesake, rhyming pimp (Moore) exacts revenge on Willie Green (D’Urville Martin), the man who put him in prison and stole his nightclub. Watching the movie you can sense that Murphy put his all into the role. Rotten Tomatoes put it perfectly:

In dramatizing Rudy Ray Moore’s stranger-than-fiction story, Eddie Murphy makes Dolemite Is My Name just as bold, brash, and ultimately hard to resist as its subject.

Picking the right script from an actor’s point of view is one of the most crucial aspects in the industry with several accepted and turned down, each with their own results. It’s hard to determine which one will be a winner and which won’t, in Murphy’s case this one was clearly the right call, crucial especially since it’s his reintroduction back into the movie scene.

The movie does a great job of telling a true story in a funny way while also paying homage to a little known legend who played a vital role in street culture, comedy, entertainment as well as hip hop music. That’s the type of influence the late Rudy Ray Moore had, something we weren’t originally aware of. The man was a hustler and didn’t let up no matter what, he was a firm believer in what he could offer and was bold in his approach no matter what others thought. In the end he pushed through and through his efforts he managed to inspire and motivate.

Dolemite Is My Name is a ridiculous movie in parts but that forms part of its charm. A comedy that surprisingly also manages to inspire and tell a true story in an interesting and entertaining manner. Driven by a great cast led by the comeback kid Eddie Murphy, it makes for a very cool watch. Another lovely scoop by Netflix, be sure to catch this one when you have the time, it’s currently available to stream. Dolemite Is My Name is a 7 out of 10 kind of movie to us.

He is back and this time on Netflix with a slightly different one (Dolemite Is My Name) that’s based on a true story. Our friends at Esquire have even gone a step further in saying that this just might be Murphy’s best movie in years. Not too long ago we recall just how much we enjoyed his performance in Mr. Church so we can’t dispute that even if we tried:

Stung by a string of showbiz failures, floundering comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Academy Award nominee Eddie Murphy) has an epiphany that turns him into a word-of-mouth sensation: step onstage as someone else. Borrowing from the street mythology of 1970s Los Angeles, Moore assumes the persona of Dolemite, a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. However, his ambitions exceed selling bootleg records deemed too racy for mainstream radio stations to play.

Moore convinces a social justice-minded dramatist (Keegan-Michael Key) to write his alter ego a film, incorporating kung fu, car chases, and Lady Reed (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), an ex-backup singer who becomes his unexpected comedic foil. Despite clashing with his pretentious director, D’Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), and countless production hurdles at their studio in the dilapidated Dunbar Hotel, Moore’s Dolemite becomes a runaway box office smash and a defining movie of the Blaxploitation era.

It’s interesting to note that comics and rappers have praised Moore as a pioneering influence over the past few decades, and Dolemite Is My Name is a hilarious celebration of a singular talent who made his own legend. There’s strangely no release date listed for it at the moment but it is definitely one to keep on your radar, we know we will.

Every now and then one manages to come across simple and yet great movies complete with superb storytelling. And that’s what this latest review is about – a great story told in a simple yet effective and inspiring manner. Inspiring yes, mainly because the movie, Mr Church, encourages one to be a better human – at least that’s what I felt after watching. The movie stars Eddie Murphy in a slightly different role to what we’re used to seeing him in. A drama and no sign of any comedic moments, is not exactly the usual stuff you would use when describing Murphy and a flick he’s involved in. A very welcome and refreshing change it is to see.

Carrying an unassuming and simple title, Mr. Church tells the story of a unique friendship that develops when a little girl and her dying mother retain the services of a talented cook – Henry Joseph Church. What begins as a six month arrangement instead spans into fifteen years and creates a family bond that lasts forever.

I first caught a glimpse of this flick in passing and accidentally so. I’m glad I did because without that I probably wouldn’t have known a thing about it. The short insert I saw was a behind the scenes look at the movie complete with interviews from people who eventually had gotten around to seeing it at its first premiere. What was interesting to note was the fact that most people (mostly comprising of movie veterans) who saw it, raved and highlighted Murphy’s performance. His best they pointed out that could even earn him an Oscar nomination. After seeing it, I couldn’t agree more – the man did a fantastic job.

Perfect for the whole family, there’s something refreshing about the movie, a genre we don’t see more of these days. It’s free flowing and easy to follow with no distractions and twists. Despite that though, it does have quite a few holes…well more like one. Specifically, I couldn’t help but want to know more about the man’s life and what happened to him. Mr Church’s story isn’t told properly especially since you get the sense that he’s a tortured man who had a less than pleasant upbringing. The overall story would have been perfect and had that 360 type of feel to it if that bit was added.

Cast – Eddie Murphy, Britt Robertson, Xavier Samuel, Lucy Fry, Christian Madsen & Natascha McElhone

Director – Bruce Beresford

Genre – Drama

Running Time – 104 minutes

Mr Church is a great heartwarming movie that everyone can and will enjoy, and despite the man’s story not being told properly, it’s still a great watch. That’s why it gets a very well deserved 3.5 out of 5 rating from me, go check it out.