Chris Rock is a pretty funny guy. And "Heaven Can Wait" is a pretty funny little movie. So can someone explain why, in combining the two, Down to Earth isn't nearly as funny as either one.
Comment
02/16/01
Down to Earth (2001)
19
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:94
Fresh:18
Rotten:76
Average Rating:3.9/10
Consensus: A toned down Chris Rock fails to bring a limp script to life as the movie moves from one gag to the next.
Runtime: 87 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Comedian Chris Rock updates 1978's HEAVEN CAN WAIT with a decidedly modern flair in this romantic comedy. Lance Barton (Rock) is a struggling comedian whose dream is to perform at New York City's... [More]
Starring: Chris Rock, Regina King, Mark Addy, Eugene Levy
Director: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Reviews for Down to Earth
Rock can't really be expected to pull off the love scenes, but for a man trying to reach the largest possible audience, his comedy is surprisingly uninspired.
02/16/01
A pretty sloppy comedy with a very light sprinkling of laughs or even chuckles.
02/16/01
Top CriticHellishly unfunny.
02/15/01
Neither remotely romantic nor funny, but as a movie about a dead man, it is decidedly lacking life.
02/15/01
Despite an energetic effort by the star, it's not a case of third time lucky.
02/15/01
Down to Earth suggests that politics and comedy are two methods of initiating social change and that, in context, both are equally effective.
02/15/01
The script's line of racial-humor gags is relatively inoffensive, the supporting cast is mostly quite good, and the film gradually develops its own dreamy charm.
02/15/01
Not funny at all.
02/15/01
Rock cannot act to save his life.
02/15/01
Often uproariously funny, blessedly short and never forgets it's a screwball romance for teen and adult moviegoers.
02/15/01
Top CriticExcept for Chris Rock's standup performances, the whole thing looks really tired.
02/15/01
Rock rocks. His movie doesn't.
02/15/01
Cute, predictable and sporadically funny.
02/15/01
Down to Earth is for Chris Rock fans only. All others should go rent Heaven Can Wait or truly be brought down to earth.
02/15/01
And so, here comes Mr. Rock, invading the white folks' world with something approximating a vengeance.
02/15/01
The most shocking thing about Down to Earth is how limp and mild it really is.
02/15/01
I would say that this movie is not a mess per se, but definitely not the vehicle which we were all expecting to take Chris Rock to the next step in the stratosphere of the business we call show.
02/15/01
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