This week's must-watch TV includes a fresh take on high school, a fierce second season, and some unlikely partners against crime.
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Title: First Sunday (2008)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Ice Cube | ... | Durell | |
| Katt Williams | ... | Rickey | |
| Tracy Morgan | ... | LeeJohn | |
| Loretta Devine | ... | Sister Doris | |
| Michael Beach | ... | Deacon | |
| Keith David | ... | Judge B. Bennet Galloway | |
| Regina Hall | ... | Omunique | |
| Malinda Williams | ... | Tianna | |
| Chi McBride | ... | Pastor Arthur Mitchell | |
| Clifton Powell | ... | Officer Eddie King | |
| Nicholas Turturro | ... | Officer D'Agostino | |
| Olivia Cole | ... | Momma T | |
| Red Grant | ... | Harold | |
| C.J. Sanders | ... | Durell Jr. | |
| Rickey Smiley | ... | Bernice Jenkins | |
Durell Washington and LeeJohn Jackson are best friends and bumbling petty criminals. When Durell learns that his ex-girlfriend plans to move to another state with their son Durell Jr.--unless they can get her $17,000 to pay off a debt-- and so Durell and LeeJohn ultimately comes up with a desperate scheme to rob their neighborhood church. But when the duo fumbles their way through the break-in, they discover someone has beaten them to the punch. In order to get their hands on the money, Durell and LeeJohn are forced to spend the night in the presence of the Lord and his followers--and end up getting a lot more than they bargained for. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
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So, it turns out "blaxploitation" films are still alive and well, and these days cast Ice Cube, Katt Williams and Tracy Morgan in the leading roles.
This offensive film parades just about every stereotype about African Americans that you can get away with while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. That translates into a ghetto setting curiously devoid of drug dealers and crack whores. There is one character who dresses like a pimp, but I'm convinced that was because of a mix-up in wardrobe, rather than a deliberate attempt at authenticity.
What is inexcusably absent though is a discernible plot. The screenplay seems to be a weak attempt to re-purpose the flimsy dramatic premise that powers "Die Hard", but relocating it in a church and mashing some Agatha Christie mystery elements for good measure.
What emerges then, in place of a plot, is a severely frayed thread, ambitiously intended to link together a series of set pieces where the various performers deliver signature material - kind of like what you'd find at a school concert, only less coherent.
"First Sunday" does have some funny moments and to be fair, the family did chuckle about the movie for a couple of days after watching it. So think of this movie as a set of toppings in search of a (first) sundae.