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Back to the Strip
A couple of months ago I reviewed a film called Fool's Paradise and stated that I was sure it would sweep this year's Razzie awards. Any Razzies that don't go to that film should go to a debacle called Back to the Strip, a juvenile comedy that makes the Magic Mike franchise look like Merchant Ivory.
This 2023 film is about a 24 year old black guy named Merlin whose passion is to be a professional magician. After giving up on magic and losing his girlfriend, he is sent to Las Vegas by his mother, where he actually finds a new career as a male stripper, backed by a stripper group who reunites after 20 odd years called the Chocolate Chips.
Director and screenwriter Chris Spencer, who wrote Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the hood has crafted a really silly story that expects the viewer to accept a whole lot. A 24 year old black dude who wants to be a magician? Really? The Chips are way past their prime...one of them is played by 300+ pound Faizon Love, who we are supposed to believe still has appeal to strip club audiences. We're also supposed to accept that one of the Chips is white (Gary Owen) but none of the group ever knew it 20 years ago, not to mention that Faizon's character is having an affair with another Chip's wife. There's a scene where Merlin and his ex are trapped together and he is wearing a mask, but she doesn't recognize his voice. We also get a dumb scene of Merlin and Robin bonding over the NBC sitcom A Different World.
The main problem with this movie is severe overlength. It takes too much time getting going, including a scene where Merlin is a clown at a kid's party (though Kevin Hart is very funny as the dad). The film also features a ridiculous narration by Tiffani Haddish that is unnecessary.
Doesn't seem to be a lot of thought put into casting either. Spence Moore II is decorative in the lead, but Wesley Snipes just seems to be phoning it in as the director of the Chips and Bill Bellamy and the always annoying JB Smoove seem to be just going through the motions. Two hours of my life I'll never get back.
A couple of months ago I reviewed a film called Fool's Paradise and stated that I was sure it would sweep this year's Razzie awards. Any Razzies that don't go to that film should go to a debacle called Back to the Strip, a juvenile comedy that makes the Magic Mike franchise look like Merchant Ivory.
This 2023 film is about a 24 year old black guy named Merlin whose passion is to be a professional magician. After giving up on magic and losing his girlfriend, he is sent to Las Vegas by his mother, where he actually finds a new career as a male stripper, backed by a stripper group who reunites after 20 odd years called the Chocolate Chips.
Director and screenwriter Chris Spencer, who wrote Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the hood has crafted a really silly story that expects the viewer to accept a whole lot. A 24 year old black dude who wants to be a magician? Really? The Chips are way past their prime...one of them is played by 300+ pound Faizon Love, who we are supposed to believe still has appeal to strip club audiences. We're also supposed to accept that one of the Chips is white (Gary Owen) but none of the group ever knew it 20 years ago, not to mention that Faizon's character is having an affair with another Chip's wife. There's a scene where Merlin and his ex are trapped together and he is wearing a mask, but she doesn't recognize his voice. We also get a dumb scene of Merlin and Robin bonding over the NBC sitcom A Different World.
The main problem with this movie is severe overlength. It takes too much time getting going, including a scene where Merlin is a clown at a kid's party (though Kevin Hart is very funny as the dad). The film also features a ridiculous narration by Tiffani Haddish that is unnecessary.
Doesn't seem to be a lot of thought put into casting either. Spence Moore II is decorative in the lead, but Wesley Snipes just seems to be phoning it in as the director of the Chips and Bill Bellamy and the always annoying JB Smoove seem to be just going through the motions. Two hours of my life I'll never get back.