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"FIRST SUNDAY" (2008) (Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Minor Heavy Minor Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Minor Minor Minor Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate None Moderate Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Comedy: Desperate for money for different reasons, two lifelong friends decide to rob a church, but don't anticipate the complications that will arise. PLOT: Durrell Washington (ICE CUBE) and LeeJohn Jackson (TRACY MORGAN) are lifelong friends, but couldn't be more different. Durrell is talented at repairing mechanical things, but that didn't make him able to fix his marriage to Omunique (REGINA HALL). She's a hairstylist who's unable to pay the rent and thus plans to move from Baltimore to Atlanta to live with her mom. Of course, that means she'll be taking their son, Durrell Jr. (C.J. Sanders), with her, and his dad will have no part of that. Unfortunately for him, LeeJohn's harebrained decision for them to transport some "hot" wheelchairs has not only left them in debt to some Jamaican thugs, but also in the custody of the police, with Judge B. Bennett Galloway (KEITH DAVID) sentencing the two to 5,000 hours of community service. That means Durrell can't leave the state and must come up with his ex-wife's rent to keep her from moving, while LeeJohn needs to reimburse the thugs or else. While facing that dilemma, they're distracted by the sight of Tianna Mitchell (MALINDA WILLIAMS) and her tight skirt that leads them into the local church. She's the adult daughter of Pastor Mitchell (CHI McBRIDE) who, along with Deacon Randy (MICHAEL BEACH), is considering moving the congregation from its inner-city location to the presumably safer suburbs. That isn't sitting well with church secretary Sister Doris McPherson (LORETTA DIVINE), choir director Rickey (KATT WILLIAMS) or other members, but that disagreement isn't what's gotten Durrell and LeeJohn's attention. Instead, it's mention of the money the church has raised, and it isn't long before LeeJohn convinces Durrell that they should rob the place. When they attempt to do that, however, a series of comedic complications interrupt their plan, forcing them to take various members hostage as they try to get their hands on the money. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of anyone in the cast and/or goofy looking comedies, they might be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For language, some sexual humor, and brief drug references CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ICE CUBE plays a talented but misdirected man who allows his lifelong friend to talk him into criminal doings. That includes attempting to rob a church so that he can have money to pay his ex-wife's rent to prevent her from moving their young son away from him. Accordingly, he takes various church officials and members hostage at gunpoint and becomes increasingly irritated when things don't go easily. He uses some profanity. TRACY MORGAN plays his dimwitted friend who gets him into all sorts of trouble. Far less prone to aggressive behavior, he eventually has a change of heart about the robbery attempt. KATT WILLIAMS plays the fey church choir director who's nervous about being a hostage, but still manages to get in digs at an overweight member of the congregation. REGINA HALL plays Durrell's ex-wife who's upset with him being late with his alimony payment and plans to move with their son to her mother's due to being unable to pay the rent. CHI McBRIDE plays the church's pastor who tries to talk some sense into the two robbers. MALINDA WILLIAMS plays his daughter who's not only upset about the robbery, but also of Deacon Randy trying to move the church from the inner-city to the suburbs. She wears tight and revealing attire. MICHAEL BEACH plays that deacon who wants to move the church and thinks he's doing the right thing in regard to that and how the church's money is invested. LORETTA DIVINE plays the church secretary who's similarly upset about the move and the attempted robbery, but she shows compassion toward LeeJohn and manages to convert his behavior. 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 brief summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated comedy. Profanity consists of several "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, a woman is seen in some tight and revealing attire, and a man is seen in just his underwear while thinking he's getting a massage from a woman who's really a guy in drag. Violence consists of a punch in the gut and other brief physical contact, while some threatening with guns also occurs. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some of the behavior on display might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Some drinking is present, as are a few, comedy-based drug references, some brief, crude humor, and tense family material. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE LeeJohn has a bumper sticker on his car that reads "Honk if you like weed." LeeJohn and Durrell drink various "shots" of communion wine at church. LeeJohn talks of there being a three drink minimum, and then something about throwing up (which doesn't occur). About a comment, LeeJohn states, "That is the most crackish idea yet." We see a poster for malt liquor, and then the neon sign, etc. on the outside of a liquor store. Two presumably homeless people share what's presumably some sort of alcohol from a brown paper bag. A song has a lyric, "Just to get high." BLOOD/GORE Omunique's boyfriend comes out of the bathroom and makes some comment and strained expression about having just used it. A boy hostage states that he has to use the bathroom. When Durrell refuses, Rickey says the boy will pee regardless, and then says something about the ammonia smell, and that of a woman probably gurgling right now based on what he earlier saw her eat. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE We see LeeJohn trying to steal a TV from the TV repair shop where he and Durrell work (and it's suggested he's been stealing others -- both he and Durrell are fired over this). A thug makes a gun reference to Durrell and LeeJohn. LeeJohn agrees to deliver some hot wheelchairs for some thugs, but then panics, runs a red light, and tries to elude the police, saying he doesn't want to go back to jail. We hear that LeeJohn had previously been caught shoplifting, and that Durrell also has a criminal record. A thug makes a menacing gun reference to LeeJohn and Durrell about the money they owe them: "Tick-tock, gunshot." LeeJohn tells a waitress that he knows she was in Special Ed, but will forgive her. About a church, LeeJohn states, "This is like Club Jesus" (some viewers might not like that reference). Some visual jokes are made at the expense of overweight people, such as LeeJohn and Durrell acting in disdain to such people passing in front of them in a church pew. Upon hearing that the church has raised a lot of money, LeeJohn and Durrell decide that's how they'll get their money (by robbing the church). They then take church officials and members hostage at gunpoint. Some may view Pastor Mitchell as having a bad attitude for manipulating his congregation to donate money by asking "Will a man rob God?" Durrell and LeeJohn do some breaking and entering of the church. LeeJohn states that his mom used to beat him (but this is played as comedy on the part of the film). Deacon Randy wants to move the church to the "safer" suburbs despite most everyone being against that idea. We see that Durrell has Pastor Mitchell taped to a chair. Durrell states, "I'll pop a cap in your ass" (shoot you), but Rickey tells an overweight woman not to worry as Durrell doesn't have enough bullets for that. A brief running gag concerns an extremely near-sighted and nearly deaf custodian who doesn't see or hear what's occurring in the church (some viewers may take offense to that). Rickey tries to make a facial expression that will alert two male police officers about what's occurring. As they walk away, one asks the other if the guy was winking at them, with the other stating he (Rickey) is the choir director (a gay joke). After an overweight woman faints, Rickey jokes that what she needs to loose is a few pounds. While walking behind Tianna, Durrell shines his flashlight on her butt in her tight skirt (seen in close-up). When an overweight woman states she's hungry, Rickey asks when she isn't. After having taken members of the church hostage, Durrell and LeeJohn then flee from police. After much talk of someone having stolen the church money, Deacon Randy finally admits that he's been "investing" it, but did so secretly. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material, but they're all mostly played for comedy, and probably won't have the same effect on any other viewers. A thug makes a menacing gun reference to LeeJohn and Durrell about the money they owe them: "Tick-tock, gunshot." GUNS/WEAPONS A thug makes a gun reference to Durrell and LeeJohn. A thug makes a menacing gun reference to LeeJohn and Durrell about the money they owe them: "Tick-tock, gunshot." LeeJohn puts plastic explosives on a safe, but the resultant small explosion doesn't do the job. Durrell fires several warning shots into the air with a handgun to get everyone's attention in the church. He then holds that gun on Pastor Mitchell and then on Deacon Randy. He then gives LeeJohn the gun as he leaves the room, with the hostages swaying and ducking (played for comedy as they don't trust that LeeJohn won't accidentally shoot the gun). Durrell gives a second handgun to LeeJohn. Durrell holds his gun on Rickey when the latter peeks his head out the front door to talk to the police. Police arrive outside the church and carry handguns and automatic weapons. They then point them at the two suspects while arresting them. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Sick of this bullsh*t," "What the hell / you doing/was that?" "Pimp my wheelchair," "Shut (the hell) up," "Grown ass man," "My bad, your honor," "Goodbye and good riddance," "Tick-tock, gunshot," "I might as well be pimping," "Girl, don't play me," "Raggedy ass," "Are you out of your rabid ass mind?"? "You keep your ass out of it," "Peanut head," "Lazy ass," "Get the molasses out of your ass," "Damn well," "I know you were in Special Ed, but I'll forgive you," "Meow," "Get your ass off the street," "This is like Club Jesus," "You remind me of my uncle, his name is Tom," "Scared the hell out of me," "Kiss my ass," "Don't bust your ass," "Who the hell you looking for?" "Dumb ass," "White Jesus," "I'm gonna boogie-woogie my black ass out of here," "That is the most crackish idea yet," "Fool," "God gonna whip your ass," "Get your ass back," "Who are you calling a fool, chump?" "I'll pop a cap in your ass," "It is hot as Satan's toenails in here," "Trying to punk out," "Sit your ass down" and "Answer the damn question." We see miscellaneous graffiti. LeeJohn has a bumper sticker on his car that reads "Honk if you like weed." Omunique's boyfriend has tattoos. A waitress gives "the finger" to LeeJohn after he makes a smart comment to her. The affected performance on display by LeeJohn and/or Rickey might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Durrell and LeeJohn do some breaking and entering of the church. We see that Durrell has Pastor Mitchell taped to a chair. While walking behind Tianna, Durrell shines his flashlight on her butt in her tight skirt (seen in close-up). JUMP SCENES A dog is suddenly at a fence (played for laughs, but it might still startle some viewers). MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A lit bit of comedy-based, suspenseful music plays in a few scenes. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Some songs had lyrics that we couldn't fully hear and/or understand, thus presenting the possibility of them containing objectionable material. A song has a lyric, "Just to get high." PROFANITY At least 2 "s" words (and possibly a few others -- that may also have just been the command "shhh"), 22 asses, 12 hells, 11 damns and 1 use each of "G-damn" and "Oh Jesus." SEX/NUDITY LeeJohn says he can't go to jail as they'll "make me a woman." About money, Durrell sarcastically states, "I might as well be pimping." Omunique shows some cleavage. LeeJohn goes to a massage parlor to see a criminal about a loan, and a cleavage-revealing employee there suggestively comes on to LeeJohn about what type of "massage" he wants. We next see LeeJohn lying face-down on a massage table when his robe is removed, revealing him in just his briefs. At Durrell waits outside, he hears various sexual sounds, and then that of a goat. Back in the room, oil is poured onto LeeJohn's back, and what looks like a riding crop is smacked onto his butt, but he then rushes out (in just his briefs) when he learns that his masseuse is really a man in drag. The camera focuses on Tianna's butt in her tight skirt (representing Durrell and LeeJohn's point of view), and that's what draws them into the church (following her). A woman makes a comment about what sounded like four sinners in g-strings in a phone booth (or something like that). Tianna shows some cleavage. While walking behind Tianna, Durrell shines his flashlight on her butt in her tight skirt (seen in close-up). She then removes her jacket (due to it being hot), revealing her in a very low-cut and tight top that shows cleavage. When asked what kind of name LeeJohn is, he states his mom didn't know which man fathered him, so she gave him both men's names. When Deacon Randy talks of others infecting the church, Rickey chimes in that he's not infected (presumably referring to VD), and has the papers to prove it. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Durrell was raised in a single parent household. Durrell goes to see his boy and thus encounters his ex-wife who isn't happy to see him or the fact that he owes her money. Their son then hears and sees them arguing. Durrell then learns that due to Omunique owing a lot of money, she plans on moving to Atlanta (from Baltimore) with their son. Durrell vows not to let that happen, especially since he can't leave the state (due to a court order). Durrell learns that his ex-wife is leaving soon, and then gets a call from his son reminding him that he (Durrell) promised that he'd prevent that move. LeeJohn states that his mom used to beat him (but this is played as comedy on the part of the film). A young boy shows a photo of his real mom, stating that she's coming back to get him (which LeeJohn knows isn't true, but doesn't tell the boy). We hear that Tianna's mom died when the girl was 6. Doris occasionally mentions her late husband, including that he's been gone for 6 years. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Criminals. Community service as a penalty for criminal behavior. The comment that Durrell has potential but no purpose. We hear that Durrell was raised in a single parent household. Deacon Randy wants to move the church to the "safer" suburbs despite most everyone being against that idea. The comment that you're only out of options when you stop looking for them. VIOLENCE After wheelchairs fall from the back of the vehicle LeeJohn is driving, a large truck nearly hits that vehicle that then crashes into a cart. LeeJohn puts plastic explosives on a safe, but the resultant small explosion doesn't do the job. Durrell grabs and pushes Deacon Randy back, demanding that he open a church safe. Durrell fires several warning shots into the air with a handgun to get everyone's attention in the church. He then holds that gun on Pastor Mitchell and then on Deacon Randy. We see that Durrell has Pastor Mitchell taped to a chair. Durrell holds his gun on Rickey when the latter peeks his head out the front door to talk to the police. Thugs confront Durrell and LeeJohn, with one pulling a gun. They let Durrell go to stop his wife from moving away, but as two hold LeeJohn, another punches him in the gut. Reviewed January 2, 2008 / Posted January 11, 2008

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