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Down To Earth

2001, Movie, PG-13, 95 mins

Down To Earth: Review

DOWN TO EARTH | I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER
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Chris Rock: Funny. Sibling writers/directors Paul and Chris Weitz (AMERICAN PIE): Funny. The idea of a streetwise young black man reincarnated as a stuffy old white man: Potentially funny. This remake of 1978's HEAVEN CAN WAIT (itself a remake of HERE COMES MR. JORDAN, 1941): Not funny at all. Aspiring comedian Lance (Rock) is mowed down by a truck while checking out a pretty girl. He awakes in Heaven, only to learn that over-eager angel Keyes (Eugene Levy) took him too soon. So Lance gets to return to Earth, but can't have his old body back. While waiting for the ideal body to become available, he agrees to inhabit the fleshy form of ruthless businessman Charles Wellington, newly murdered by his wife (Jennifer Coolidge) and secretary (Gregg German). Lance is delighted when, moments later, he finds the young women he was ogling in Wellington's living room. Sontee (Regina King) turns out to be a health care worker protesting Wellington's plans to privatize a low-income Brooklyn hospital, and Lance sees an opportunity to get with his dream girl and do some good besides. But the body-switch situation poses unique romantic challenges, and puts a serious crimp in Lance's dream of performing at the famous Apollo theater. Forget that the film is awkwardly paced and badly written: Rock's trademark diatribes stop the action dead and run on far too long. The real problem is that while characters are reacting to Wellington, we're almost always seeing Rock. It's not that we don't get the gag when African-American comedy club patrons respond with ill-concealed horror as Wellington launches into a typically strident Rock routine. We understand that they're seeing a florid old white guy exploiting negative cultural stereotypes. But we're watching Chris Rock riffing pointedly on ghetto-centric experience, the very thing that's made him famous. The gag doesn't play — in any of its seemingly endless variations. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
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