Comedy Movies

A former cop-turned-neighborhood hero previously framed for a crime he didn't commit emerges from prison to track down the culprit who set him up in a retro-themed blaxploitation spoof from Shawn, Marlon, and Keenen Ivory Wayans. Shaft, Dolemite, and Black Belt Jones have got nothing on Super Bad James Dynomite, and when the hero of the people returns to the streets he grew up on to find just how much things have changed since he was sent to prison, he makes it his mission to take back the streets and bring down the criminal who now occupies the city's top office. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Shante Smith reprises her role from Two Can Play at That Game for this sequel that finds the popular relationship expert who draws on her knowledge of the male psyche to help females accomplish their relationship goals. Vivica A. Fox, Jason George, and Jazsmin Lewis co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A DIY strip club leads to nothing but headaches for two desperate losers just looking to make a little easy money. Rodney and Leon are two men with a common dream of opening the city's best strip club. When all attempts to find a suitable venue fail, the resourceful friends make the decision to open their club in Rodney's parents' basement. But dealing with faulty strippers and vicious loan sharks is one thing, and attempting to keep your parents in the dark about all the freakiness going on just under their antique rug is a something else entirely. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

AJ and Trip hold out hope that the third time's a charm as the hit Block Party series continues in this sequel featuring appearances by Tommy "Tiny" Lister and Clifton Powell. For two years straight, AJ and Trip have schemed to throw the hottest block party of the summer, and this year they're determined to get it right. But planning the perfect party is never an easy task, especially when it begins to feel like everyone in the neighborhood is plotting against you. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Respected stand-up comic Steve Harvey delivers his unique act to an appreciative crowd on this concert video. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

In this third installment of the popular action comedy franchise, LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) and Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) book a flight for Europe and prepare to clean up the streets of Paris after discovering that Chinese triads have extended their criminal influence to the City of Lights. Chinese Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma) is in Los Angeles and about to reveal the details of a clandestine triad conspiracy to the World Criminal Court when an assassin takes aim and pulls the trigger. Though Carter has been demoted to directing traffic at the time of the shooting, Lee is acting as a bodyguard to Han when the bullets begin to fly. Lee quickly gives chase, but hesitates when he realizes that the gunman is Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada), his old friend from the orphanage. When triads steal an envelope containing vital information regarding the conspiracy from Soo Yung's (Zhang Jingchu) Chinatown kung fu studio, Carter and Chief Inspector Lee race to reach Genevieve (Noémie Lenoir), an underground entertainer who could prove the key to bagging the bad guys. During the course of their investigation, however, triads clash with the French police, threatening to turn the romance capitol of Europe into an explosive hotbed of crime and violence. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Actor/comedian Chris Rock directs and stars in this American remake of Eric Rohmer' s classic French comedy Chloe in the Afternoon. Richard Cooper (Rock) is a high-powered investment banker with a beautiful wife and two wonderful children. Though on the surface it would appear that Richard could want nothing more out of life, his thoughts always seem to drift toward sex. Whether it's during his daily commute into the city, his endless barrage of meetings, or even his downtime changing diapers at home, Richard's mind is constantly preoccupied by fantasies about the women he sees on the commuter train, on the city streets, and in the boardroom. Richard's daily life has gradually devolved into a blur of mind-numbing banality, and these days sexual fantasy has become his sole means of escaping the constant pressures of work and fatherhood. Though Richard never had any real intention of cheating on his faithful but preoccupied wife Brenda (Gina Torres), a chance run-in with his old friend Nikki (Kerry Washington) -- a drop-dead gorgeous stunner who appears at his office door one day seeking career advice from the successful banker -- finds his steely resolve fast turning flimsy. It's not long before the smitten Richard and the smoldering Nikki are meeting for clandestine lunches, and temptation begins to turn Richard's once-predictable life upside down. As his uncontrollable fantasies begin to lead him down the dangerous path of infidelity, the man who once kept his libido safely in check finds it increasingly difficult to refrain from acting on his impulses. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Diary of a Mad Black Woman mastermind Tyler Perry turns the familiar Cinderella tale on its head with this story concerning a successful female attorney who falls in love with a financially strapped mechanic. Monty (Idris Elba) is struggling mechanic and single father of three from a poor neighborhood. Upon learning that custody of his beloved daughters has been awarded to his morally bankrupt, drug-dealing ex-wife Jennifer (Tasha Smith), desperate Monty enlists the aid of beautiful Ivy league-educated lawyer Julia (Gabrielle Union) -- whom he recently met during his brief stint as a chauffeur -- in ensuring that his daughters remain with him in a stable and loving environment. Despite the vast social and economical differences that divide them, Monty and Julia soon begin to find themselves unexpectedly falling in love with one another as they work together to save Monty's daughters from a life of crime and corruption. Now, in order to reconcile their blossoming romance and overcome the forces that threaten to destroy the only thing that Monty holds dear, the concerned father and powerful lawyer will have to bridge the gap that divides them by coming together to prove that true love really does have the power to prevail. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Actor/director Jean Claude LeMarre takes a tongue in cheek look at the perils of dating as an African American woman in a comedic look at the relationships that those in search of a mate should avoid at all costs. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This low-budget farce concerns Bernard Jr., a thirtysomething underdog who lives with his dad in the inner city. He divides his time between ham-handed attempts at solving community-related problems and smoking prodigious quantities of marijuana. Whenever he reaches a pot-induced high, Bernard develops delusions of grandeur, puts on his red superhero outfit, and claims invincibility as the crime-fighter Black Supaman -- who will stop at nothing to clean up the ghetto. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

On the eve of his biggest audition to date, an unfocused actor enlists the aid of his show-business buddies in getting his act together and landing the role that could finally launch him into the big time. T.O. (Lawrence Adisa) may be a working actor, but now the all night partying and constant distractions are beginning to take their toll on the once-promising star. Later, T.O. will seek some helpful guidance from good friends Regina King and French Stewart. When all hope seems lost, it begins to appear that the only thing keeping T.O. on his toes is the prospect of losing a potentially lucrative role from longtime nemesis Morris (Sam Sarpong). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Few things are more common than wood, but most people never think about how lumber goes from the forest to the construction site. Filmmaker David Fenster offers a look at the nuts and bolts of this process in the short documentary Wood. Fenster follows trees as their harvested in Oregon to a sawmill, where they're slowly turned into lumber ready for market; the film also profiles the men who work at the mill, the labor that's required to keep the plant up and running, and the economic and political concerns that are causing mills to close all over the country. Wood won the Jury Prize for Best Short Documentary at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi