First Sunday (2008)
Average Rating: 3.8/10
Reviews Counted: 75
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 65
First Sunday may have its heart in the right place, but its funny bone is dislocated.
Average Rating: 4.6/10
Critic Reviews: 24
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 19
First Sunday may have its heart in the right place, but its funny bone is dislocated.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 180,136
Movie Info
Gospel-minded playwright David E. Talbert produces, writes, and directs this urban crime comedy concerning a pair of criminals who take a group of church parishioners hostage while attempting to rob the holy house, only to find their captives slowly convincing them to repent and give up their lawless lifestyles. Durell (Ice Cube) and LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan) are two best friends with a special knack for petty crime. Upset at discovering that his ex-girlfriend is planning to move out of state with
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Cast
-
Ice Cube
Durell Washington -
Katt Williams
Rickey -
Tracy Morgan
LeeJohn Jackson -
Loretta Devine
Sister Doris -
Michael Beach
Deacon Randy -
Keith David
Judge B. Bennet Gallowa... -
Regina Hall
Omunique -
Malinda Williams
Tianna Mitchell -
Chi McBride
Pastor Arthur Mitchell -
-
Clifton Powell
Officer Eddie King -
Nicholas Turturro
Office D'Agostino -
Red Grant
Harold -
C.J. Sanders
Durell Jr. -
Arjay Smith
Preston -
Kim Staunton
Public Defender -
Sterling D. Ardrey
Timmy -
Gerry Black
Mr. Wally -
Joy Brunson
Choir Member 2 -
P.J. Byrne
Assistant D.A. -
Paul Campbell (IV)
Blahka -
Melanie Comarcho
Waitress -
Bashirrah Creswell
Choir Member 3 -
Antwone Dickey
Pirate -
Starletta DuPois
Grandmother -
Roy Jackson Jr.
Boyfriend -
Patricia Mikel
Sister Baker -
Byron Blu Mitchell
Choir Member 1 -
Aya Nagasaki
Massage Attendant -
Reynaldo Rey
Soul Joe -
Martell Robinson
Moredecai -
Marietta Sirleaf
Roberta -
Kurt Carr
Choir Band -
Nathaniel Kearney Jr.
Choir Band -
Timothy P. Mason
Choir Band -
Sheryl Harper
Choir Band -
Vernon Keith Allen
Choir -
Jackie Brown
Choir -
Troy Clark
Choir -
David Daughty
Choir -
Kesha Ealy
Choir -
Janet Fuller
Choir -
Chara Hammonds
Choir -
Melody Hess
Choir -
Frank Ingram
Choir -
Patricia Johnson
Choir -
Carolyn Johnson-White
Choir -
Helen Jones
Choir -
Shanika Leeks
Choir -
Rodney Matthews
Choir -
Mark Jeffrey Miller
Choir -
James Neuble
Choir -
Aseneth Parker
Choir -
Nicole Potts
Choir -
Kecia Sanders
Choir -
Koda Turner
Choir -
Andre Washington
Choir -
Rodney Washington
Choir -
Otha White
Choir -
Rachel Whitlow
Choir -
Linda Willis
Choir -
Brandon Winbush
Choir -
-
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First Sunday Trailer & Photos
All Critics (76) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (65) | DVD (6)
Grafting moral uplift on to a slapstick caper with mixed results, this nevertheless captures some of the giddy eccentricity of the Ealing comedies it haphazardly resembles.
Top CriticIf Tyler Perry ever wanted to turn Dog Day Afternoon into a treacly after-school special, it would probably end up looking a lot like this.
The movie is designed to be uplifting and inspirational, but everything about it is tired and listless. It doesn't so much make you feel the spirit as drain it out of you.
The movie's total lack of focus and its unimpressive script should render it totally unwatchable. Weirdly, that doesn't quite happen.
Your enjoyment of this movie may depend on the Tracy Morgan factor. Rarely has there been a comic who can switch from funny to unbearably grating with such speed.
While we can't presume to know the Lord's mind, somewhere in the footnotes to the Ten Commandments there must be a rule about not using insipid piety to excuse incompetent comedy.
First Sunday isn't an out and out bad film, but to be a good one it would need to either greatly raise the dramatic steaks, or push its comedic boundaries over the top in conception. Instead it treads water safely in the middle, and it shows.
Perhaps moviegoers demand simplicity and cheap laughs more than ever during tough times, but this must be discouraging to aspiring African-American comedians and writers.
This movie fails as a comedy, a drama, a morality play, and as a coherent motion picture. Awful stuff!
If it was not for Morgan's goofy character or Katt Williams, I would be giving this movie a zero.
Devilish satire outing felons who come in gaudy three piece suits too, a sweltering church 'hotter than Satan's toenails' and Sunday sermon sidebars that all the rest makes go down easy.
The missing-church-funds subplot will be easily figured out by any four year old, but it winds up being a McGuffin anyway.
With his movie debut, Talbert plays to his established audience, the redemption message riding roughshod over everything, even such trifling concerns as character consistency and continuity.
Tired, unfunny comedy with Ice Cube as a bungling crook.
The least funny man ever to make a career in comedy movies, Ice Cube hauls his sullen mug back in front of the cameras for the execrable First Sunday.
Cube's maudlin, overly precious relationship with his son hits a few sour notes, but Morgan's rubbery, half-crazy Leejohn always drags the film back into its manic, cartoony groove.
On your own day of judgement, select a better film from the listings.
Loretta Devine and Olivia Cole shine out as veteran members of the flock, but even their class combined is no saving grace.
Seasoned stars such as Loretta Devine and Regina Hall do their best...but it's an uphill struggle with a script even the good lord would rent asunder.
With its unlikely but sweet-natured story, 'First Sunday' is a cut above most of the "January junk" that floods the theaters this time of year.
Getting religion in the end is no excuse for a parade of bad taste.
Ice Cube is now Public Enemy Number Fun, although First Sunday is only fun if you're in dire need of a modernist urban take on the strain of comedy Abbott and Costello used to practice, which, let's be honest, wasn't that funny to begin with.
Talbert's unable to pin down exactly what kind of movie he wants to make, a slapstick sermon or an urban tragicomedy?
Writer-director David E. Talbert has a fine cast...but he lets them down with a wretched, amateurish script...
Audience Reviews for First Sunday
Super Reviewer
If you like these kinds flicks.
Watch and praise the Lord that you arent as stupid as the two crims in this one!!
XD!!
Super Reviewer
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Movie: ID: 770680966 Title: First Sunday Release Date: 2008-01-11 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 3 Status: 1
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