It’s been a hard few years for lowbrow humor. The Wayans brothers gave us Little Man. Mr. Bean’s Holiday was almost funny. Eddie Murphy squandered his Dreamgirls Oscar nomination by making—dear God—Norbit. The genre had some success with the Judd Apatow franchise (Superbad, Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin). But they’re hardly enough to dam the flood of movies like Who’s Your Caddy? and Big Momma’s House 2.
First Sunday, the debut from writer/director David E. Talbert, is a bit better than these. There are several good zingers, a few heartwarming supporting performances and two wonderful scenes of unrestrained joyous gospel hymns. But the lead actors, the plot and particularly the ending are painfully shallow. Sympathy for First Sunday’s anti-heroes is hard to come by, especially when they act like out-and-out villains.
Durell (Ice Cube) is an ex-con who can’t find a job to help support his ex (Regina Hall) and kid. Along with incompetent tagalong LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan), Durell ends up owing some gangsters $17,000. The friends concoct an idiotic solution: Rob the offering money from a local church. When their plan goes awry, Durell and LeeJohn must take the church deacon (Michael Beach), pastor (Chi McBride) and choir, including effete director Rickey (Katt Williams), hostage.
It’s hard to connect with this criminal pair. Ice Cube plays Durell with only one expression and zero warmth. Morgan acts the delinquent fool and seems like a stereotype in a 1920s vaudeville. The scene in which he bonds with his child captive is reminiscent of the tattooed henchman from Superman Returns taunting Lois Lane by playing “Heart & Soul” with her kid—it’s like watching Stockholm syndrome develop in real time.
However, Katt Williams’s performance is a surprise. Williams defies the performance you’d expect from a résumé including The Perfect Holiday and Epic Movie. As Rickey, he steals the old “talk-to-the-cops-with-a-gun-to-your-head” scene with his jittery, semi-effeminate antics.
The clichés inevitably set in. Of course Durell and LeeJohn aren’t really such bad guys, and of course they find redemption before the end. LeeJohn’s turning is even somewhat convincing, although Durell’s isn’t (it happens instantaneously after being lectured). “I’m a changed man,” Durell tells his wife. But it doesn’t show on his face or in his actions. Worst of all, remember that $17,000 that kicked off this whole mess? Neither does the director. It goes completely unresolved.
You could do worse than seeing First Sunday if you need a laugh. But with Juno showing two doors down, why would you want to?