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: 22
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 17
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: 178,431
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
Jan 11, 2008 Wide
May 6, 2008
$37.9M
Sony Pictures Entertainment
All Critics (76) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (68) | DVD (5)
If 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.
The film, written and directed by urban theater circuit playwright David E. Talbert, is far from polished, but it has a rambunctious energy that's hard to resist.
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.
There is an 'Almighty Version' Enhanced Fact Track, with trivia tidbits that play throughout the movie.
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.
A crass minstrel show laced with demeaning dialogue.
The missing-church-funds subplot will be easily figured out by any four year old, but it winds up being a McGuffin anyway.
Lately, if you've seen one Ice Cube 'comedy,' you've seen them all.
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.
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.
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.
OMG! Movies need more meaning. WHO MAKES A MOVIE ABOUT STEALING FROM A CHURCH.
August 8, 2008
Super Reviewer
A black morality tale... a nice twist from Cube's previous film outings. The comedy is still there, but throw in religion, guilt and the ghetto and you in for a good night.If you like these kinds flicks. Watch and praise the Lord that you arent as stupid as the two crims in this one!!XD!!
July 7, 2008
Super Reviewer
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