A comedian tries to make it as a serious actor when his reality television star fiancée talks him into broadcasting their wedding on her television show.
What a wild San Diego Comic-Con it has been so far! Have a look at the celebrity guests who have joined us on the IMDboat, as well as the other sights and sounds from this year's fest.
When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship causes him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.
All the couples are back for a wedding in Las Vegas, but plans for a romantic weekend go awry when their various misadventures get them into some compromising situations that threaten to derail the big event.
Director:
Tim Story
Stars:
Kevin Hart,
Gabrielle Union,
Wendi McLendon-Covey
A group of high school teenagers and their parents attempt to navigate the many ways the Internet has changed their relationships, their communications, their self-images, and their love lives.
Two down-on-their-luck guys decide to fake their own deaths and start over with new identities, only to find the people they're pretending to be are in even deeper trouble.
A man who lost his family in the September 11 attack on New York City runs into his old college roommate. Rekindling the friendship is the one thing that appears able to help the man recover from his grief.
Director:
Mike Binder
Stars:
Adam Sandler,
Don Cheadle,
Jada Pinkett Smith
After a bad blind date, a man and woman find themselves stuck together at a resort for families, where their attraction grows as their respective kids benefit from the burgeoning relationship.
Director:
Frank Coraci
Stars:
Adam Sandler,
Drew Barrymore,
Wendi McLendon-Covey
While in his teens, Donny fathered a son, Todd, and raised him as a single parent until Todd's 18th birthday. Now Donny resurfaces just before Todd's wedding after years apart, sending the groom-to-be's world crashing down.
Director:
Sean Anders
Stars:
Adam Sandler,
Andy Samberg,
Leighton Meester
Sandy Wexler is a talent manager working in Los Angeles in the 1990s, diligently representing a group of eccentric clients on the fringes of show business.
New York Times reporter Chelsea Brown is spending a day interviewing comedian and recovering alcoholic Andre Allen, star of the hit film franchise Hammy The Bear, about a cop in a bear suit. Chelsea has forgotten her audio recorder, so they first go to her apartment. While there they discuss a magazine article about the Cinderella complex. Chelsea explains that Cinderella left something behind to let the prince know that she wanted to see him again..
Chris Rock and Sherri Sheperd appeared together in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008). Additionally, the franchise's spin-off movie, Penguins of Madagascar (2014), released in the same year as Top Five (2014). See more »
Jigga My Nigga
Written by Jay Z (as Shawn C. Carter) and Swizz Beatz (as Kasseem Dean)
Performed by Anders Holm
Published by Universal Music Corp. on behalf of itself and Swizz Beatz, Dead Game Music Publishing Inc,
administered by Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) on behalf of itself and Lil Lu Lu Publishing See more »
Top Five is a film that should have been ballsier, should have had a stronger voice, and should have delivered a heavier punch. The fact is we have seen this concept before, with the weak Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and the mediocre Funny People. The entertainer-going-back-to-roots-rediscovery angle has been done a couple times within the past half-decade. So in order for Top Five to stand out, it needs sharper dialogue, more entertaining scenarios, more heart. And who better to do this then one of the best comics in the last 20 years? Yet despite the effort and the clearly talented cast, the movie never truly floats above mediocrity waters. Top Five does enough to slightly entertain, but you really wish that there could have been more.
Chris Rock's stand-up is undeniably one of the best in the history of the art form. He has the observational humor of Jerry Seinfeld mixed with the sharp delivery of Eddie Murphy. His cinematic career however lacks the bite that gives him the unique voice in comedy. When your best performance and best non-animated movie comes from a 20+ year old Wesley Snipes film (well...maybe CB4), there is a major issue. And although this movie isn't autobiographical, it definitely has some nods to Rock's actual career. This time Rock is channeling his inner Woody Allen by writing, directing, and starring in a New York flick.
In terms of acting, Chris Rock does not disappoint. His chemistry with the evocative and beautiful Rosario Dawson (sheer underrated talent) was the highlight of the film by far. They work off each other very well, which makes it all the more surprising that the rest of the cast had such limited material and didn't have their chance to truly mesh with Rock. Even Cedric the Entertainer and his amazing portrayal of a Houston freewheeler didn't contribute much. Chris Rock does indeed have the ability to run a movie, but boy did I wish more from Cedrick, J.B. Smoove, Sherri Shepherd, Gabrielle Union, among others.
All the small roles from talented people would be forgiven if the script had been stronger, and if the film had truly explored the harsh questions. Behind the microphone, Chris Rock is not afraid to take on touchy subjects. In Top Five, lots of concepts are lightly brought up but never explored. The reality star life angle, the difficult comedian life angle, the race angle, the returning-to-roots angle, and even the politics subject was slightly and very dimly brought up, but it never dwelled deeper. We could have had some serious post-viewing discussions on the whos, the whats, and the whys, but the film never ignited the fire.
Similar to About Last Night, another 2014 woulda, coulda, shoulda black ensemble film that didn't dip its feet into the discussion waters, Top Five explores a similar cinematic concept and stays afloat mainly because of lead character chemistry and a few cameos striking comedic gold. Unfortunately this movie lacks the bite of Chris Rock standup (despite the "R" rating giving you full permission to do so), instead meandering into similar territory that mixes Woody Allen with recent Judd Apatow. Dramatic but not dramatic enough, funny but not funny enough, provocative but not provocative enough, There are too many ingredients in the talent soup for the overall flavor to remain slightly lifeless.
I wanted more, anticipated more, and overall it just wasn't enough—despite this being Rock's best directorial and acting work.
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Top Five is a film that should have been ballsier, should have had a stronger voice, and should have delivered a heavier punch. The fact is we have seen this concept before, with the weak Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and the mediocre Funny People. The entertainer-going-back-to-roots-rediscovery angle has been done a couple times within the past half-decade. So in order for Top Five to stand out, it needs sharper dialogue, more entertaining scenarios, more heart. And who better to do this then one of the best comics in the last 20 years? Yet despite the effort and the clearly talented cast, the movie never truly floats above mediocrity waters. Top Five does enough to slightly entertain, but you really wish that there could have been more.
Chris Rock's stand-up is undeniably one of the best in the history of the art form. He has the observational humor of Jerry Seinfeld mixed with the sharp delivery of Eddie Murphy. His cinematic career however lacks the bite that gives him the unique voice in comedy. When your best performance and best non-animated movie comes from a 20+ year old Wesley Snipes film (well...maybe CB4), there is a major issue. And although this movie isn't autobiographical, it definitely has some nods to Rock's actual career. This time Rock is channeling his inner Woody Allen by writing, directing, and starring in a New York flick.
In terms of acting, Chris Rock does not disappoint. His chemistry with the evocative and beautiful Rosario Dawson (sheer underrated talent) was the highlight of the film by far. They work off each other very well, which makes it all the more surprising that the rest of the cast had such limited material and didn't have their chance to truly mesh with Rock. Even Cedric the Entertainer and his amazing portrayal of a Houston freewheeler didn't contribute much. Chris Rock does indeed have the ability to run a movie, but boy did I wish more from Cedrick, J.B. Smoove, Sherri Shepherd, Gabrielle Union, among others.
All the small roles from talented people would be forgiven if the script had been stronger, and if the film had truly explored the harsh questions. Behind the microphone, Chris Rock is not afraid to take on touchy subjects. In Top Five, lots of concepts are lightly brought up but never explored. The reality star life angle, the difficult comedian life angle, the race angle, the returning-to-roots angle, and even the politics subject was slightly and very dimly brought up, but it never dwelled deeper. We could have had some serious post-viewing discussions on the whos, the whats, and the whys, but the film never ignited the fire.
Similar to About Last Night, another 2014 woulda, coulda, shoulda black ensemble film that didn't dip its feet into the discussion waters, Top Five explores a similar cinematic concept and stays afloat mainly because of lead character chemistry and a few cameos striking comedic gold. Unfortunately this movie lacks the bite of Chris Rock standup (despite the "R" rating giving you full permission to do so), instead meandering into similar territory that mixes Woody Allen with recent Judd Apatow. Dramatic but not dramatic enough, funny but not funny enough, provocative but not provocative enough, There are too many ingredients in the talent soup for the overall flavor to remain slightly lifeless.
I wanted more, anticipated more, and overall it just wasn't enough—despite this being Rock's best directorial and acting work.