First Sunday (2008)

It was supposed to be entertaining. I doubt Ice Cube is crossing all fingers and toes that he'll get an Oscar nod. Lighten up! Big deal.

Not every movie has to be a groundbreaking blockbuster hit. The inspirational messages (considered silly by some) might hit certain people that didn't anticipate getting a message from the movie. Momma T talking to Ice Cube at the end was a great message and the teens that might see this movie need to hear it.

Lots of teens will see this movie I'm sure and they will walk away with a positive message, who knows. If you saw this movie and were disappointed in it, you must have had sky high hopes and it was CLEAR AS DAY what the movie was going to be like in the commercials. If you think you wasted your time, you need to pay more attention to commercials before going out to the theater. Come on man!

But to me, Katt Williams made it worth while, he never fails me.

Fmovies: The movie can really touch with its emotional aspect, which consist of the old motive that money can't always buy anything. There are some good in the hood laughs, but not worth to remember. I personally think that Ice Cube can do better, and he can achieve something more great the "Friday" series.His acting is getting better and better, but he should try to change the plot of his movies or maybe a drastic change in his character.At all, this movie production is not something amazing,but this is not its main mission. It's just a good comedy, that can waste your time, without wasting its limit. By the way its worth nothing the fact that there are some really funny characters that are really moving the thing in this production. Like the chore director for example, or the priest.Actually this is the main element that makes me rate the movie at a more high score. It seems that almost everything was half-baked- the plot is good, but could have been better, and the actors a re funny,but could be funnier.

first of all i do not get some of the reviews here( probably because as some admit have not seen this feature to the end). well i did and overall i was pleased, actually the morality tale is very good just simplified probably because of the need to get a pg-13 rating. this however gets only 6 stars because the Rickey character ( ice cube's partner) which has some wacky lines at best unfortunately reminding me of the idiotic "scarry movie" franchise and alike. also in the church scenes there are some parts that are too soap-oprah, even if i can see the good intentions in that. i add an extra star because the original and refreshing flavor ice cube brings to the industry, with a blend of jokes that at surface seem very simplistic but combining them with the "other" ice cube gives those very jokes a new dimension , sometimes very deep ones and very sarcastic at that as well.then again, i consider sarcasm the best joke ever told because ,unlike just a "funny" one, it has generally a morality tale that might just teach(or preach) something, someone, somewhere...

now there is another reason this movie did not do good. everyone probably knows ice cube for his "toughest persona" as i do, from his old school rap with hits such as ".... the police" or "gangsta rap made me do it". therefore "gangsta" fans would be probably disappointed by this. actually if one takes a closer look at ALL ice cube movies since barber shop, one can see that he really does not condone violence at all. better yet, ALL the "tough" "gangsta" characters in his features are made "fun" of as not being "cool" at all, sometimes outright "stupid" ones. but unlike the mainstream media ice cube does not blame violence be invoking FEAR, or disturbing behavior. just like in his very political songs , the fear factor is always played on only to invoke "rightfull" repression. and one familiar with his activism can see how skillful he is able to stay away from THAT "disturbing" behavior in itself.

furthermore, while this feature is not as good as "Friday after next" when it comes to having hilarious jokes (i miss Mike Epps to be truly with you here,Katt Williams does not even come close to fitting his shoes)there is a bit more "soul" here. this is a very much family movie , quiet naive i might add but as i said before, simplifying issues does make it more on everyone understanding. but that requires that the viewer see it to the end. there is one scene i personally do not like it. the one that inserts an indirect commercial for play station...well i hope at least he got paid for it, and the viewers will know to "avoid" too deep thoughts on that one...

as last words, i like ice cube overall. he is not a great actor, but he always gives me the vibe of being natural. after all, when you telling "hood" stories no "class" acting would help since this is about reality and not "art"( art being a subject of personalization and subjectivity, but not of that as reality is on the "ground"). this will entertain you, i might add "good old family fun". not one of my favorites( Friday after next remains the top one so far) but definitely a better one out there comparing it to the dumb "meet the Spartans" for example.

First Sunday fmovies. I went into the theater, sat down with my popcorn, saw 25 minutes and then left the theater. In fact, I should have left 15 minutes sooner. Where to start with this crap of a movie. First, the characters are so lazy that you have no sympathy for them. Whaaaa! I don't like my job! Whaaaa! Well who does?! Whaaaa! The boss orders me around. Whaaa! So of course, they turn to crime and surprise! They get caught. They get 5000 hours of community service from the judge instead of jail time. That's where all the fun is suppose to begin but none of that happened. It was just one long tedious boredom after another.

Ice Cube: You better stick with Barbershop 3,4,5,... Or better yet, why don't you come out with a new album instead of scaring us with your crummy acting ability.

Tracy Morgan and Kat Williams: It's back to stand-up gigs again!

So, it turns out "blaxploitation" films are still alive and well, and these days cast Ice Cube, Katt Williams and Tracy Morgan in the leading roles.

This offensive film parades just about every stereotype about African Americans that you can get away with while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. That translates into a ghetto setting curiously devoid of drug dealers and crack whores. There is one character who dresses like a pimp, but I'm convinced that was because of a mix-up in wardrobe, rather than a deliberate attempt at authenticity.

What is inexcusably absent though is a discernible plot. The screenplay seems to be a weak attempt to re-purpose the flimsy dramatic premise that powers "Die Hard", but relocating it in a church and mashing some Agatha Christie mystery elements for good measure.

What emerges then, in place of a plot, is a severely frayed thread, ambitiously intended to link together a series of set pieces where the various performers deliver signature material - kind of like what you'd find at a school concert, only less coherent.

"First Sunday" does have some funny moments and to be fair, the family did chuckle about the movie for a couple of days after watching it. So think of this movie as a set of toppings in search of a (first) sundae.

This movie was like that one paper you wrote in high school. You stayed up all night working on it, but still could only pull out a C+..

I don't know why this movie needs to be about white or black (say some of the peeps reviewing it) or if you rate it low you're a bigot or if you really like it, you're a minister @ a church etc.... I'm white and I enjoyed it, just not enough to give it a 9 or 10. And while I love Tracy Morgan, Kat Williams and I-Cube.. I thought the plot was not that interesting and the funny moments were few and far between.. Sure, it had its redeeming values.. but the movie didn't know whether to be a comedy or a redemption flick. So it tried to be both..

The one part I absolutely loved and that really touched me was when Tracy's character says that he had never had a birthday celebration because the foster care place lost his birth certificate. Wow.. Talk about sad.. I actually almost started crying, because it was so emotional and I had never heard of anyone not celebrating a birthday ever.