OK, now when you see a movie titled "Booty Call," you can't expect high art.
But I can expect a ton of laughs. Unfortunately, now that I'm a young adult, I don't find the film as funny as I did when I saw it in grade school. When you're in grade school, you'll laugh at anything with a penis reference. Dirty and raunchy don't necessarily have to translate into dull and unfunny. Hell, even Mel Brooks was popular for doing plenty of low-brow humor, but he knows how to deliver the crudeness in a hilarious way. Director Jeff Pollack obviously doesn't possess Brooks' magic. I'm not going to lie. There are some gags that still make me laugh, but they are few and far between. For example, there's a great cameo from the always-funny Bernie Mac. And though it's a clichéd gag, I did enjoy the two Middle Eastern convenience store clerks. Keeping on the theme of ethnic stereotypes, I also liked the scene with Gedde Watanabe (of "Sixteen Candles" fame) as a Chinese waiter, who utters a very funny line in ebonics.
But most of the gags are downright pathetic. Even comedy must involve a certain degree of truth, and it's hard to buy into--much less laugh at--a bunch of scenarios that make virtually no sense. In one scene, the four characters are playing cards. Jamie Foxx goes under the table to pick up a card, and the dog licks Vivica A. Fox's toes. She assumes that it's Jamie licking her. Then the dog licks Jamie's rear end, and he assumes that Vivica is licking it. Can you get a more ridiculous scenario? Not to mention the gag is poorly executed. As Jay Leno always says, "This comedy thing's not so easy, is it?" No, it is not, Jay. As is shown in amateurish comedies like this. Unfortunately, 99 percent of people in this world think they can do comedy, and about 10 percent of those people are right. On a non-cynical note, Jamie Foxx is a moderately talented comedian/actor. Unfortunately, his performance in this movie is all over the map. Like Albert Brooks said, when you do a movie you have to be funny as a person, not funny as a comedian. Foxx constantly spits out sly one-liners, like only a comedian can. He tries so hard to be funny that he rarely is. When I see him as Bunz in this movie, he reminds me of one of those obnoxious friends, who you constantly want to tell to shut the f**k up and/or punch in the face. It's no mystery that comedy is best when played straight, but obviously Foxx didn't solve that mystery prior to doing this movie. One person who hasn't solved that mystery 'til this day is Tommy Davidson. Outside of "In Living Color," I don't think I've ever found him funny. He plays the straight man this time around, but hints of his goofy style of comedy show up here and there. I haven't met one person yet, who thinks he's a comic genius. I saw his pathetic stand-up act on an episode of "The Tonight Show." Is there anything he knows how to do other than mug and make annoying voices? The third act of the film mostly centers on an utterly disgusting gag involving Davidson accidentally on his way to get castrated. First of all, if you're a guy, just hearing the "word" castration brings feelings of pain (women will NEVER understand!). Second of all, the gag might've worked if it were executed in a more discreet, tasteful way. There's a similar gag in the movie "Sour Grapes," but it's executed in a much less disgusting and much funnier way. Then again, that movie was directed by the co-creator of "Seinfeld" and "Booty Call" is made by amateurs. If you're easily pleased by gags of any sexual nature, this should be your cup of tea. Others beware.
But I can expect a ton of laughs. Unfortunately, now that I'm a young adult, I don't find the film as funny as I did when I saw it in grade school. When you're in grade school, you'll laugh at anything with a penis reference. Dirty and raunchy don't necessarily have to translate into dull and unfunny. Hell, even Mel Brooks was popular for doing plenty of low-brow humor, but he knows how to deliver the crudeness in a hilarious way. Director Jeff Pollack obviously doesn't possess Brooks' magic. I'm not going to lie. There are some gags that still make me laugh, but they are few and far between. For example, there's a great cameo from the always-funny Bernie Mac. And though it's a clichéd gag, I did enjoy the two Middle Eastern convenience store clerks. Keeping on the theme of ethnic stereotypes, I also liked the scene with Gedde Watanabe (of "Sixteen Candles" fame) as a Chinese waiter, who utters a very funny line in ebonics.
But most of the gags are downright pathetic. Even comedy must involve a certain degree of truth, and it's hard to buy into--much less laugh at--a bunch of scenarios that make virtually no sense. In one scene, the four characters are playing cards. Jamie Foxx goes under the table to pick up a card, and the dog licks Vivica A. Fox's toes. She assumes that it's Jamie licking her. Then the dog licks Jamie's rear end, and he assumes that Vivica is licking it. Can you get a more ridiculous scenario? Not to mention the gag is poorly executed. As Jay Leno always says, "This comedy thing's not so easy, is it?" No, it is not, Jay. As is shown in amateurish comedies like this. Unfortunately, 99 percent of people in this world think they can do comedy, and about 10 percent of those people are right. On a non-cynical note, Jamie Foxx is a moderately talented comedian/actor. Unfortunately, his performance in this movie is all over the map. Like Albert Brooks said, when you do a movie you have to be funny as a person, not funny as a comedian. Foxx constantly spits out sly one-liners, like only a comedian can. He tries so hard to be funny that he rarely is. When I see him as Bunz in this movie, he reminds me of one of those obnoxious friends, who you constantly want to tell to shut the f**k up and/or punch in the face. It's no mystery that comedy is best when played straight, but obviously Foxx didn't solve that mystery prior to doing this movie. One person who hasn't solved that mystery 'til this day is Tommy Davidson. Outside of "In Living Color," I don't think I've ever found him funny. He plays the straight man this time around, but hints of his goofy style of comedy show up here and there. I haven't met one person yet, who thinks he's a comic genius. I saw his pathetic stand-up act on an episode of "The Tonight Show." Is there anything he knows how to do other than mug and make annoying voices? The third act of the film mostly centers on an utterly disgusting gag involving Davidson accidentally on his way to get castrated. First of all, if you're a guy, just hearing the "word" castration brings feelings of pain (women will NEVER understand!). Second of all, the gag might've worked if it were executed in a more discreet, tasteful way. There's a similar gag in the movie "Sour Grapes," but it's executed in a much less disgusting and much funnier way. Then again, that movie was directed by the co-creator of "Seinfeld" and "Booty Call" is made by amateurs. If you're easily pleased by gags of any sexual nature, this should be your cup of tea. Others beware.