With plot holes the size of boulders, it's a bad effort at wacky humor and schmaltzy redemption that plods and preaches gratingly.
First Sunday (2008)
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Reviews Counted:73
Fresh:10
Rotten:63
Average Rating:3.7/10
Consensus: First Sunday may have its heart in the right place, but its funny bone is dislocated.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for language, some sexual humor, and brief drug references.
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:28-03-2008
Synopsis: David E. Talbert makes his directorial debut with this comedy about Durell (Ice Cube) and LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan), childhood friends with a knack for getting into trouble. Despite his continual bad... David E. Talbert makes his directorial debut with this comedy about Durell (Ice Cube) and LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan), childhood friends with a knack for getting into trouble. Despite his continual bad decisions, Durell gets one thing right: he's a good father to his adolescent son. When he learns that the boy's mother, his ex-girlfriend, Omunique (Regina Hall), needs $17,000 to buy her beauty shop or she'll leave Baltimore and move to Atlanta, he's determined to get her the money to keep his son in his life. Meanwhile, LeeJohn needs big money fast to pay off some bad guys. Durell and LeeJohn decide that the collection plate of their local church holds the answer to their money woes. But their attempt to rob the church is foiled in progress: the money is already missing, and the would-be burglars didn't realize there would be people at the church. Finding themselves with a group of parishioners and choir members at their mercy, Durell and LeeJohn have to make some decisions about exactly what kind of men they want to be. FIRST SUNDAY also makes a statement about the role of the church in urban areas and its importance within the community. Keith David is Deacon Randy, who has grandiose plans for moving the church to a "less urban" neighborhood. Chi McBride stars as Pastor Mitchell, and Malinda Williams is his strong-willed daughter, Tianna, who wants First Hope Community Church to stay right where it is and expand its services. Loretta Devine is Sister Doris, the parish secretary and foster mother with a heart of gold. Ice Cube and Morgan have good rapport as the bickering buddies, with Morgan's silliness providing loads of comic relief, but Katt Williams is the scene-stealer as Rickey, the flamboyant choir director with something to say about everything and everyone. [More]
Starring: Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan, Loretta Devine
Starring: Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan, Loretta Devine, Michael Beach, Keith David, Regina Hall, Malinda Williams, Chi McBride
Director: David E. Talbert
Director: David E. Talbert
Screenwriter: David E. Talbert
Producer: David E. Talbert, David McIlvain, Tim Story, Ice Cube, Matt Alvarez
Composer: Stanley Clarke
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Reviews for First Sunday
First Sunday is a movie about forgiveness that asks its audience to forgive too much -- with regard to both its characters and its makers.
The comedy about a botched robbery and hostage-taking is so bad that even The Cube's most ardent fans are going to feel they're the real victims.
Its heart is in the right place and it tries hard--maybe too hard--to earn its sentimental ending.
First Sunday is harmless, church-approved optimism with just enough bawdy behavior to keep general audiences attentive to the lessons on right and wrong and urban fatherhood participation. It's medicine, but it's far more agreeable than I expected.
attempts to go for a Tyler Perry-esque mishmash of silly comedy, melodrama and everyone learning a lesson that will make them better people. Ick.
Everything here is overly simplified for easy digestion -- dialogue, jokes, characterization, storyline, and payoff
It has the slapstick of a The Three Stooges short without the comic timing, the characters of "Hot Ghetto Mess" without the irony, and the stereotypes of Amos 'n' Andy without the wit.
As if Tyler Perry's own films weren't bad enough, now we have to contend with ill-begotten rip-offs of them? Heaven help us.
A slack combination of faith-based inspiration and broad 'hood comedy.
This anemic vehicle for Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan to mug and jive through is just weak, weak stuff.
Shrug off the recycled script and the movie's trite if uplifting, message and recognize the signs of stardom to come. It won't be too many Sundays before David E. Talbert finds his funny film niche and Katt Williams becomes a top billed star.
In First Sunday, Ice Cube departs a bit from the upright-citizen persona, playing a man driven to crime by desperate circumstances.
The only time viewers will be inspired to sing halleluja is on their way out of the theatre.
Comedies don't have to be high in class as long as they are funny, entertaining and do not treat their audience like imbeciles. First Sunday fails all three of these qualifications.
[Katt] Williams blithely walks off with the second half of First Sunday, which more or less walks in place until he arrives.
Has more bathroom humor than an elementary school cafeteria and so many stereotypes up the wazoo that the wazoo is officially full.
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