FamilyFans Movies
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DOWN
TO EARTH
Plot Summary
: A struggling black comedian is prematurely taken to heaven, then returned to earth in the body of a rich white businessman to live out the rest of his life.Reason for the Rating
: Language, sexual humor and some drug references.If you like to see an obnoxious comedian who really can’t act bungle his way through a mediocre plot for an hour and a half, then
DOWN TO EARTH is the movie for you. If you have a somewhat better taste in films, however, you probably won’t like this one very much.Don’t get me wrong, DOWN TO EARTH has occasional high points. I did find myself laughing a few times, and I did notice a few good themes in it such as generosity and not judging others based on outward appearances.
Unfortunately, weak jokes and choppy scenes crowd out these positive qualities. In spite of its few redeeming themes, the overall message of the movie is…well, I’m not exactly sure what it is! It just sort of ends and leaves you wondering what the point of it all was.
Chris Rock plays comedian Lance Barton who, after mistakenly being taken to a heaven that strongly resembles a nightclub (complete with angels who strongly resemble mobsters), returns to earth. The only problem is that his old body is no longer available, so he has to inhabit the body of a rich, selfish businessman and still try to be himself. In this new body, he must better society, get the girl, and live out his dream of becoming a successful comedian.
Many
crude jokes, twists on religion, and senseless scenes later, I won’t tell you
what happens, but let’s just say that its all pretty forced, and Rock
certainly doesn’t have the acting skills to make any of the movie very
realistic. It’s all just a big mesh of several incomplete attempts that never
quite reach the "good movie" goal.
Sorry to say that DOWN TO EARTH just wasn’t convincing, and therefore was something less than heaven-sent.
FamilyFans.com Recommends
: This movie is beyond mediocre. Don’t waste your time.After the Show…
If members of your family choose to view this movie, use these questions to spark discussion about it afterward:-- What did you think of the movie’s portrayal of heaven, and what do you think heaven will be like?
-- Can you pick out any examples in which the movie misrepresented Christianity?
--What were some of the racial issues that this movie made you more aware of?
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