"POOTIE TANG" (2001) (Lance Crouther, JB Smoove) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor *Extreme *Minor Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Minor *None Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Mild Mild Mild Heavy QUICK TAKE: Comedy: An odd but beloved crime-fighting, singing star, who speaks a language all his own, battles an evil corporate CEO and other villains. PLOT: Pootie Tang (LANCE CROUTHER) is an odd Renaissance man - with a unique language all his own -- who's just as proficient at crime fighting as he is in making movies, albums and public service announcements that warn children against the consuming of products from Corporate America. While that makes him a hero among the everyday folk, it also means he's public enemy number one to both petty criminals - such as Dirty Dee (REG E. CATHEY) who revels in being as filthy as possible - and corporate CEOs such as Dick Lecter (ROBERT VAUGHN) who's upset with how Pootie is affecting sales of his various products. Accordingly, Lecter orders his right-hand man, Frank (DAVID ATTEL), to get Pootie to sign an exclusive contract hawking their latest endeavor, and when that fails, he sends Ireenie (JENNIFER COOLIDGE) to use her feminine wiles & sexuality to discover Pootie's secret source of power. That turns out to be the belt that his father (CHRIS ROCK) gave him as a boy and that he uses like a whip on the various villains he encounters. As he goes about his successful ways and hangs out with his friends including Trucky (JB SMOOVE) and JB (CHRIS ROCK) and deals with Biggie Shorty (WANDA SYKES), a woman who may or may not be a prostitute but does dance around on the street corners dressed like one and desperately wants to get him in bed, Pootie must contend with Lecter's underhanded ways. They not only end up putting him in odd situations, such as being coerced into getting to know Stacy (CATHY TRIEN), a farm girl whose sheriff father is intent on marrying her off to the next available man, but also present the crime fighter with the greatest challenges he's had to face yet. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of someone in the cast, they might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sex related material, language and drug content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: LANCE CROUTHER plays an odd, but cool and smooth crime-fighting hero who's quite popular, a role model for kids due to his stance against the various evils that Lecter peddles, and speaks a language of his own that everyone in the movie can understand, but no one in the audience will. He also uses his belt like a whip while fighting various weapons. JB SMOOVE plays his best friend who uses some profanity and is apparently seduced by Ireenie into giving up Pootie's secrets. WANDA SYKES plays a woman who may or may not be a hooker who dances around on the street corner dressed like one. She uses some profanity, and wishes to and finally succeeds in bedding Pootie. ROBERT VAUGHN plays a corporate CEO who wants Pootie taken care of when he realizes the role model has caused sales of his various products to drop. JENNIFER COOLIDGE plays a woman who uses her sexuality and apparently beds at least one man to assist Lecter in his evil scheme. REG E. CATHEY plays a local thug who revels in being as dirty as possible and tries to buy some drugs from another criminal. CHRIS ROCK plays several characters, including Pootie's disciplinarian father and one of Pootie's friends who is fed up with another friend who repeats everyone's thoughts just moments after they express them. He also uses some profanity as the latter. CATHY TRIEN plays a country girl who becomes enamored with Pootie after her sheriff father tries to marry her off to him. DAVID ATTEL plays Lecter's right-hand man who smokes a few times. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a quick look at the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a bleeped out "f" word, along with more than 10 "s" words, some slang terms for sex and male genitals, and various other expletives and colorful phrases. Some non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, while various woman come on to Pootie in a sexual fashion, including one woman who apparently beds him and his friend for nefarious reasons (but nothing explicit is seen), and another woman who finally succeeds in doing the same to Pootie, thus fulfilling her quest to do so. Yet another woman becomes aroused -- when he spreads the contents of a fresh pie across his chest and neck -- and thus jumps him. Various characters, who all have bad attitudes, attack and/or try to harm the protagonist, and he fights them off with various punches and his belt that he uses like a whip on them. They and others try to shoot him (as he dodges or deflects the bullets), while another man comes at him with a switchblade. A few characters drink, while we also briefly see some drug use and a character trying to sell drugs after getting a kid to try them. Some instances of imitative behavior, including the protagonist speaking in a unique language that no viewers will understand, are also present. All of that said, none of what's present is meant to be taken seriously, although some younger kids might not get the jokes and/or parody element. Thus, should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for anyone in your home who may want to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific information about what's present and occurs in it. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Pootie interrupts a drug deal where a dealer is trying sell a briefcase of drugs to Dirty Dee and nearly has the dumbest kid in town convinced it's candy ("that you smoke out of a pipe") so that he'll try some (to prove to Dirty Dee how "good" it is). In a flashback, Pootie's father warns him about drugs on the street (among other things). We see Pootie doing a public service announcement where he tells kids not to drink malt liquor and we see him pouring a bottle of it into a trashcan. We see quick shots of a person spreading cocaine with a razor blade, another smoking a joint and people drinking. Dirty Dee's right-hand man holds a bottle of liquor and then throws it against another car as they pull up in theirs. We briefly see an ad showing a Pootie stand-in with some malt liquor. BLOOD/GORE We see some small, and slightly bloody bullet holes in a man's shirt after several ricocheted shots hit him there. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE None of what follows is intended in anything remotely resembling realism. A drug dealer tries to get the dumbest kid in town to try a sample of what he's selling to Dirty Dee. In a flashback, young Trucky convinces Pootie to steal some apples with him, but Pootie's father (who's nowhere to be seen) hits them on the hand with his belt before they get the chance. JB refers to women as "bitches." Lecter has both for wanting to put an end to Pootie's activities and by luring him in - via sex - to sign a contract with his company (that will give him all-inclusive, exclusive rights to everything about Pootie). Those who work for Lecter have both types of attitudes as well. A thief tries to rob Pootie at knifepoint (via a switchblade that he wildly swings about). A sheriff tries to pressure Pootie and then Trucky (at gunpoint) to marry his single daughter. The various people who try to kill Pootie obviously have both types of attitudes. FRIGHTENING SCENES It's possible that some viewers could find scenes listed under "Violence" as tense, but none of them are intentionally played that way. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine gun: Carried by various thugs, a sheriff and/or used by others in a threatening manner or in an attempt to shoot Pootie. Switchblade: Used by a thief who's trying to rob Pootie. Pootie uses his belt as a weapon against many of those who try to attack him. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Bullsh*t," "Cut that sh*t out," "Dirty/Crazy/Fancy pants bastard," "Bitch" (for men and women), "Oh, hell," "Grown ass," "Ass kicking," "Kick (your) ass," "What the hell is this?" "Whores," "My ass," "Sucker," "Crazy ass," "Punk," "That's a damn shame," "Bony ass," "Sucks," "Shut your mouth," "What the hell?" and "Shut up." It's possible that some kids could try to imitate Pootie and his indecipherable language, the fact that he's nearly always walking around with his shirt open, and his use of his belt as something quite similar to a whip. Biggie Shorty dresses like a hooker and spends most of her time dancing around on the street corner when not talking about or finally succeeding in bedding Pootie. Various criminals shoot at Pootie with their guns, but he nonchalantly ducks out of the way of the bullets (or deflects them with his belt buckle) as they pass by him in slow motion. Pootie jumps on Dirty Dee's car as he drives away and partially climbs in the driver's side window, occasionally hitting Dirty Dee. Dirty Dee's right-hand man rides on the hood of his convertible as they pull up. During the end credits, Pootie stands and dances around inside a convertible as he drives it by himself. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A tiny bit of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Various songs have lyrics that couldn't be understood, thus allowing for the possibility of them containing potentially objectionable material. PROFANITY At least 1 bleeped out "f" word, 12 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("banged"), 1 slang term for male genitals ("d*ck"), 27 asses, 24 damns, 7 hells, 2 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "Christ" and "God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY All of what follows is played for laughs rather than eroticism. We briefly see Lecter and Ireenie making out (in a comic fashion). One of Pootie's older fans tears open her shirt in public for him, showing off her cleavage. Another young fan (who shows some cleavage) then screams, grabs and kisses Pootie as he tries to make his way back to his hotel room. During this, she repeatedly tells him, "I want you," but he eventually slips into his room, leaving her in the hallway. We see various hookers standing out on the street and two men (one old, the other middle-aged) drive up, spot Biggie Shorty (who shows some cleavage) dancing around and then believe her to be a prostitute. The old man gets very excited/hysterical, especially when she walks up to them and asks if he wants something, and he says, "I want it." He then adds that she should do "the two of us." She then punches him in the face for thinking she's a hooker. Biggie Shorty tells Pootie that one day he's going to be in a bed with her. She then tells him that someday he's going to meet the Darth Vader of T & A and "be banged by the dark side of love." She then adds that on that day, she'll be there and will "make sweet love to you." Ireenie finds Trucky in a club and aggressively comes on to him (in what's supposed to be a comedic fashion), kissing him and rubbing/grinding her clothed body against him (although most the latter is implied in a upper torso shot). All of this, including her slapping him, gets him excited and flustered. Ireenie shows cleavage as she comes on to Pootie in a grocery store. The narrator then says that Pootie couldn't use his belt to defend himself from her because women like her "like that sh*t." She then slaps him, which seems to get him interested in her, but he then blocks several more such shots, with her eventually sitting atop him on the floor. We later see her in a satin-like nightie and it's implied that they had sex (as she got him to sign a contract with Lecter's company and now has his belt). After she makes a comment about finally getting to have sex with him, we see Pootie and Biggie Shorty sitting on a bed, apparently after having sex (the bed is unmade). He's finishing getting dressed and she's lying back on the bed dressed (stating that he's the best piece of man she's ever had). As she non-explicitly spreads her legs and pulls him on top of her, she tells him to give her his "bony ass" one more time before he hits the road. Pootie takes a pie that Stacy brought him and proceeds to smear it all over his neck and chest, arousing her. He then makes some comment (that doesn't make any sense to the viewer) about what he's apparently planning to do to/with her. She then jumps at him, causing both to fall backwards through a window, breaking it. During the outtakes, we see some of the above again and then her sitting on him on the floor, licking his neck. We see some extremely brief shots of some women's rear ends in what looked like thong bottoms. Stacy's father comments on Pootie and Stacy getting to know each other (a possible reference to sex), and then asks when the wedding will be. SMOKING Frank smokes a few times, while an unidentified man is seen several times with an unlit cigar in his mouth, and some other miscellaneous characters also smoke. We briefly see an ad showing a Pootie stand-in with a cigarette. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We see from various flashbacks that Pootie's mother and then father died when he was rather young (there's a deathbed scene with his father, but like everything else in the movie, it's not meant to be taken seriously or dramatically). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The language Pootie speaks and how it is that we can't understand him, but everyone in the film can. The various genres and other items being parodied in the film. Various criminals shoot at Pootie with their guns, but he nonchalantly ducks out of the way of the bullets (or deflects them with his belt buckle) as they pass by in slow motion. That Ireenie's slapping of various men she's trying to seduce seems to get them aroused/excited (the implication of violence and sex being connected). VIOLENCE None of what follows is intended in anything remotely resembling realism. Various criminals shoot at Pootie with their guns, but he nonchalantly ducks out of the way of the bullets as they pass him in slow motion. Pootie then removes his belt and hits/whips several bad guys with it, knocking them to the ground. He also kicks another man. Pootie jumps on Dirty Dee's car as he drives away and partially climbs in the driver's side window, occasionally hitting Dirty Dee. Although he's doing so for disciplinarian reasons, Pootie's father (in flashback), repeatedly hits young Pootie's hands with the belt when he knows they boy's going to do something wrong. In a flashback, we see a gorilla (obviously a person in a gorilla suit, but it's supposed to be real, but not scary) attack Pootie's father, resulting in mortal injuries. Pootie slaps JB for calling women "bitches." Pootie hits Frank with his belt. Biggie Shorty punches an old man several times in the face after he believes her to be a hooker. Ireenie slaps Trucky while trying to seduce him. A thief tries to rob Pootie at knifepoint (via a switchblade that he wildly swings about). Pootie then uses his belt to take care of this man, but the robber then pulls out a handgun and fires it several times at him. Pootie deflects the shots with his belt buckle, however, causing them to go back and strike the man in the chest. For several moments, it seems that the man is dead, but he then comes back to life. Ireenie slaps Pootie while trying to seduce him. After Pootie has fallen out of favor with the public, various people throw what look like rocks and other items at one of his establishments. Pootie takes a pie that Stacy brought him and proceeds to smear it all over his neck and chest, arousing her. She then jumps at him, causing both to fall backwards through a window, breaking it. In some archival style footage, we briefly see the results of some rioting (things are burning). In a fantasy/dream/hallucination, Pootie's father - in the shape of a giant corn stalk -- hits Pootie in a fatherly, disciplinarian way. Stacy's father, the sheriff, holds his gun on Pootie to make him marry her. He later does the same to Trucky. Dirty Dee's right-hand man holds a bottle of liquor and then throws it against another car as they pull up in theirs. He then strikes the sheriff in the face (seen several times in replay). In turn, Pootie punches that man. Dirty Dee then tries striking Pootie with his belt, but it barely taps him. Pootie then punches him in the face and hits him several times with the belt like a whip. He then smacks Dirty Dee who falls to the ground. Pootie punches Lecter in the face. A large number of Pootie imitators prepare to fight him and Biggie Shorty and he takes care of some of them with his belt, while she punches and kicks others until the rest finally run off. Biggie Shorty causes a crane to drop a huge, circular sign down onto Lecter's car, crushing it. We then see Pootie spanking Lecter on the butt with his belt, and then knocking Frank aside. Biggie Shorty hits Ireenie. During the end credits, we see Dirty Dee with a huge machine gun that he fires at Pootie (who ducks out of the way again). Reviewed June 29, 2001 / Posted June 30, 2001

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