First Sunday (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
O Rental
O OK
O Mediocrity
X Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / January 25, 2008

I think I know how the filmmakers of “First Sunday” must feel. I have two CDs that I’ve produced of my own original music that will fade from the memory of the rest of the world, but they will always be special to me. Similarly, “First Sunday” is a textbook example of a movie that will quickly be forgotten forever … and probably should be.

Durell Washington (Ice Cube) struggles to live in inner-city Baltimore, where he’s separated from his wife, Omunique (Regina Hall) but still very much attached to his son. When Omunique threatens to move to Atlanta with his boy, Durell needs to find $17,342 to get her to stay. Why that much? It’s not really important; let’s just get through this.

Tracy Morgan (“30 Rock”) plays Durell’s pal, LeeJohn, a man who needs money to repay $12,000 to some rough customers. Again, there’s a reason for that specified amount that has to do with pimped-out wheelchairs, but it doesn’t matter. In order to free themselves from their financial woes, the pair plans to rob the First Hope Church, a charismatic congregation that’s been blessed with highly lucrative fundraising results.

“First Sunday” is an African-American comedy, and it is one that employs stupidity humor. What is stupidity humor? It’s humor where the characters overact and exhibit impossible displays of stupidity. Or, stupidity humor is humor where stupidity is a prerequisite for laughter. But if you looked it up in the dictionary, it would simply read “Larry the Cable Guy humor.” (I’m sorry, but when it comes to Larry the Cable Guy, I find dead puppies funnier.)

Ice Cube plays the straight man, and Tracy Morgan is supposed to be the funny one. But if I had to pinpoint a bright spot in this movie, it would be Katt Williams’ performance as Rickey, the church choir director. Williams steals the show from Morgan, and pretty much everyone else.

“First Sunday” is edited like a movie trailer, takes too long to get where it’s going, slows down too much in the middle, and tries to turn from silly to sentimental, which just doesn’t work. In short, “First Sunday” makes a mockery of churches, courtrooms and old, has-been rappers. At least it probably won’t be the worst movie of the year … there’s an upcoming Larry the Cable Guy movie whose movie trailer takes the phrase “trailer trash” to a whole new level.

Directed by David E. Talbert
Ice Cube / Tracy Morgan / Katt Williams
Comedy 98 min.
MPAA: PG-13 (for language, some sexual humor, and brief drug references)

U.S. Release Date: January 11, 2008
Copyright 2008: 223