[A] pleasant hour and a half.
Don't Be a Menace... (1996)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:7
Rotten:16
Average Rating:4.6/10
Runtime: 89 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: This film is a parody of the recent "hood" movies made by African-American directors, in particular John Singleton's "Boyz 'N the Hood." The plot focuses on Ashtray, a do-gooder who comes to... This film is a parody of the recent "hood" movies made by African-American directors, in particular John Singleton's "Boyz 'N the Hood." The plot focuses on Ashtray, a do-gooder who comes to South Central L.A. to live with his father. Unfortunately, Dad turns out to be a poor role model, as he extols the virtues of unsafe sex and drunk driving. Ashtray's cousin Loc Dog is no better, with his hair-trigger temper and extensive weaponry (including a nuclear bomb). Ashtray manages to find romance with a pretty poet named Dashiki, but it turns out that she's a little too popular with the men in her neighborhood -- and not for her writing skills. Will Ashtray become disillusioned by what he's seen and experienced in South Central? [More]
Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Tracey Cherelle Jones, Chris Spencer
Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Tracey Cherelle Jones, Chris Spencer, Suli McCullough, Darrell Heath, Kim Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Vivica A. Fox, Omar Epps, Bernie Mac, LaWanda Page, Yvette Wilson, Paula Jai Parker
Director: Paris Barclay
Director: Paris Barclay
Producer: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Eric L. Gold
Screenwriter: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans
Get This Movie
Reviews for Don't Be a Menace...
If you really want to appreciate this film, go see all the hood movies from the 90s - good and bad.
Full of very obvious spoofery, and funnier in concept than in execution.
The thin plot is merely the frame for gags, and there are more a few good ones here.
Too many gags fall flat, or are cheap and sleazy instead of clever and witty.
A free-for-all comic spoof that brings the 'hood' genre of Hollywood films full circle.
Outrageous is the key word here. In many successful scenes, the Wayans deftly play on our assumptions and cliches.
Things might be bad, the movie suggests, but they're not so bad you can't laugh.
If I see one more movie featuring that current favorite of obnoxious movie stereotypes -- the pair of abrasive Asian convenience store owners -- I'm not going to even going to think twice before getting up and leaving the theatre.
The gags -- like most of the Wayanses' humor -- range from astute satire to lowest-common-denominator yucks.
There's maybe three or four half-decent chuckles to be found in this otherwise interminable 90-minute mega-chore.
Latest News for Don't Be a Menace...
July 13, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Dupree" Misfires; "Little Man" Is Short On Laughs
This week at the movies, we've got some unwanted houseguests, in the guise of a guy with a bad case of arrested development ("You, Me and Dupree," starring Owen... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Don't Be a Menace... at Rotten Tomatoes
- Don't Be a Menace... at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.

The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



