WHO'S THE MAN?
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating: 4.8 (D, *1/2)
Date Released: 4/23/93 Running Length: 1:29 Rated: R (Language, mature themes)
Starring: Ed Lover, Doctor Dre, Cheryl "Salt" James, Jim Moody Director: Ted Demme Producers: Charles Stettler and Maynell Thomas Screenplay: Dr. Dre, Ed Lover, and Seth Greenland Music: Michael Wolff and Nic Broek Released by New Line Cinema
Ed Lover and Doctor Dre (playing themselves) are the two worst barbers in Harlem. In fact, they're so bad that the customers clamor not to be next so they can avoid having those two go to work on their hair. Losing business because of Lover and Dre, Nick (Jim Moody), the owner of the shop, threatens to fire the pair if they don't look for new jobs. In particular, he wants them to take the NYPD exam. They relent and, inexplicably, score high enough on the test to be admitted to the academy. An unspecified amount of time later, they hit the streets as the two newest members of New York City's finest.
This is a film lacking focus, direction, and a sense of coherence. It was obviously designed as a "star vehicle" for Doctor Dre and Ed Lover (the hosts of MTV's YO! MTV RAPS) without a concern for content. It's a low-budget, cobbled-together production that tries too hard to put out a message while not trying hard enough to be funny.
The comedy, which comes in sporadic bursts throughout the film, is often funny but rarely original. There are a lot of incisive one-liners (some of which may fall flat if not seen with a lively audience) and a couple of sight gags. There are also two or three running jokes that start out fresh but become repetitive by the film's end (it's a case of going to the well once too often). There are laughs peppered throughout WHO'S THE MAN--just not nearly enough of them.
The primary reason for the movie's failure lies in its plot. Scatter-brained romps like this generally play best when they try for as lean and silly a script as possible. Unfortunately, while WHO'S THE MAN's story is idiotic, it also tries to present an anti-gentrification message (a rich white developer is buying up whole blocks in Harlem, promising to "improve" that part of the city). The production team's attempts to give this film deeper meaning than the average no-brainer comedy fall flat. As a result, sections of the movie become exceedingly dull and WHO'S THE MAN ends up seeming twice as long as it needs to be.
I didn't find the soundtrack to be particularly memorable, but those who enjoy rap music will likely delight in it. In fact, that's one of WHO'S THE MAN's selling points (any movie that emphasizes its soundtrack over its performers is immediately suspect). There are a lot of songs--they take up nearly two minutes of the end credits to scroll across the screen (this may be a record; I'm not sure).
WHO'S THE MAN reminds me somewhat of last year's MO' MONEY. In both cases, the comic talent behind-the-scenes never effectively translates onto the screen (maybe the production team thought that simple comedy wasn't enough for a motion picture). If Dre and Lover intend to do another film, they might look to rappers Kid 'N Play for some inspiration. Those two do the same kind of movies as WHO'S THE MAN, only with much greater success. Maybe next time, Dre and Lover will be able to produce a film that's consistent at something rather than all over the place.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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