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Movies / On DVD / Soul Men
Soul Men

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Soul Men (2008)

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45 %
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Reviews Counted: 95

Fresh: 43

Rotten:52

Average Rating: 5/10

Consensus: Soul Men features lively performances from Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson and some hilarious moments, but ultimately suffers from an unoriginal script.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for pervasive language, and sexual content including nudity.

Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Nov 7, 2008 Wide

Box Office: $11,966,888

Synopsis: Malcolm Lee, director of upbeat family fare such as WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS and ROLL BOUNCE, takes a slightly raunchier tack for his uproarious buddy comedy, SOUL MEN. The late Bernie Mac gives... Malcolm Lee, director of upbeat family fare such as WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS and ROLL BOUNCE, takes a slightly raunchier tack for his uproarious buddy comedy, SOUL MEN. The late Bernie Mac gives one of his final performances as Floyd Henderson, a retired back-up singer for a ‘60s soul act known as the Real Deal. When the group's lead singer, Marcus Hooks--played by real-life soul singer John Legend--suddenly drops dead, the two remaining members of the group, Henderson and Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson), are enlisted to play a tribute concert at the Apollo Theatre in New York City. Hinds, an ex-convict trying his best to stay out of the limelight, is persuaded by Henderson to drive cross-country for the chance to re-ignite his music career. The classic comedic trope of road-trip antagonism reaches new heights as the pair curse and claw at each other for the entire voyage, taking occasional breaks to stage impromptu roadside rehearsals and other, less PG-rated misadventures. Throughout, Mac's formidable skills at slapstick play against Jackson's no-nonsense, tough guy demeanor--a veneer that, at times, cracks enough to reveal some genuinely tender moments between the two. But SOUL MEN's final, most poignant postscript is a cameo by fallen soul legend Isaac Hayes--who, coincidentally, died the same week as Bernie Mac--casting a bittersweet pall over the film's enjoyably comic shenanigans. [More]

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Sharon Leal, Sean Hayes

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Sharon Leal, Sean Hayes, Affion Crockett, Adam Herschman, John Legend, Jennifer Coolidge

Director: Malcolm D. Lee

Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Screenwriter: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone
Producer: David T. Friendly, Steven Greener, Charles Castaldi
Composer: Stanley Clarke
Studio: Warner Bros.

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Release:

Feb 10, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Featurette: Bernie Mac At The Apollo
  • Behind the Scenes: Boogie Ain't Nothin'
  • Trailers: Theatrical Trailer

Audio Commentary:

  • 1. Malcolm Lee - Director
  • 2. The Soul Men: Bernie Mac & Samuel L. Jackson
  • 3. The Cast Of Soul Men
 
 
 
 

Reviews for Soul Men

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
02/27/09
Chris Bumbray
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

Soul Men may get by on novelty, but what novelty!

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
02/04/09
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Be prepared to laugh out loud and move to the music as Soul Men has plenty of both to offer.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Spectrum | comment Comment
01/04/09
Jolene Mendez
Entertainment Spectrum

Are there two other actors who are able to utter the word 'motherf**ker' with such forceful comic authority? I think not.

Full Review Source: Mr. Brown's Movies | comment Comment
12/28/08
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies

The filmmakers chose to go too often to the well, I mean the toilet, for inspiration.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
12/10/08
Dan Lybarger
eFilmCritic.com

'Soul Men' is a mediocre film at best, buoyed by the abrasive chemistry of Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/21/08
Frank Wilkins
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Awkwardly sentimental but nevertheless sharply spry in song and sass, Lee's acid-tongued Soul Men certainly have something to sing about.

Full Review Source: Movie Eye | comment Comment
11/21/08
Frank Ochieng
Movie Eye

Soul Men spins an erratic tune.

Full Review Source: Illinois Times | comment Comment
11/17/08
Charles Koplinski
Illinois Times

Mostly, the film works, due largely to the bickering, grumpy-old-men dynamic between the two leads.

Full Review Source: The Trend | comment Comment
11/14/08
Stephen Silver
The Trend

Bernie Mac can say MF too.

Full Review Source: Can Magazine | comment Comment
11/14/08
Fred Topel
Can Magazine

Sam Jackson and Bernie Mac look positively pained when they squeeze into Pip-like suits and begin to sing.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
11/14/08
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

Nothing great comedy or drama happens in Soul Men. The pleasure comes in seeing Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac do their stuff.

Full Review Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | comment Comment
11/14/08
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

...a bittersweet pleasure thanks to the two stars.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
11/14/08
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
11/14/08
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Soul Men could have been so much more.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
11/13/08
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This may not be a great movie, but I still couldn't help falling in love with it.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
11/12/08
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

Considering the canvas the story provides, and the richness of the tradition it taps into, the amount and quality of the music is pretty disappointing.

Full Review Source: Film.com | comment Comment
11/10/08
Jonathan F. Richards
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This one's only fair, but it has its low-down wiles and its moments.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
11/10/08
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It is not a perfect film but it is a nice, solid reminder of how great Bernie Mac was.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
11/10/08
Ben Mankiewicz
At the Movies

It really is bittersweet to watch Mac in one of his final performances. He makes the most of pretty average material here.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
11/10/08
Ben Lyons
At the Movies
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for Soul Men

February 13, 2009: A tender, tangy and wild tale in a kooky convergence of music, memory and male bonding blues. And a movie truly about lasting impressions, where you're very likely to laugh till you cry, when not the other way around. Opens in new window
More...

February 13, 2009: A tender, tangy and wild tale in a kooky convergence of music, memory and male bonding blues. And a movie truly about lasting impressions, where you're very likely to laugh till you cry, when not the other way around. Opens in new window
More...

February 09, 2009: RT on DVD: Oliver's W, Spike's St. Anna, and My Name is Bruce!
What better way to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama by watching Oliver Stone's W. this week on DVD? While a handful of middling studio releases hit home... More...

November 09, 2008: Sam Jackson and Bernie Mac co-star in rollicking road comedy. Opens in new window
More...

See More Topics...

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