Rock Solid: A Look At Top Five...

To be honest, when I first saw that Chris Rock had written, produced and directed a new feature, I was excited. I saw the trailer and was only enthused. I heard/read reviews and became cautious. Why? Because I realized that Chris Rock has shown me comedic genius in all areas EXCEPT non-stand up movies. I place him closer to Pryor than I do Murphy because his scope, world view and relatability make him a charismatic Hughley. Matter of fact, Rock would have made for a better “King” than DL but that’s another discussion. Bottom line, I tend to have high expectations for Rock based on how he’s performed before. Enter Top Five.

Rock’s character, Andre Allen is in the midst of a mid-life career crisis. Allen is a comedian/actor, who has sworn off comedy to create art of substance after having basked in prior success so large that he can’t escape his alter ego’s shadow. We catch up to Allen during a reluctant interview with a reporter from the New York Times, a pub that has consistently trashed all of his prior work. This takes place as Allen is currently attempting to promote his new movie, which is garnering significantly less press than his pending wedding to a reality TV star. What follows is a series of intimate conversations and incidents that take a peek behind the laughs and smiles as we meander through New York.  A recurring theme in the film is it’s namesake, the “Top Five” discussion, referring to each participant’s top five rappers in Hip-Hop. The movie satisfyingly wraps up in a manner that had me playing the O’Jays - Give The People What They Want in my mind.

Rock delivers a surprisingly balanced product here while wearing multiple hats. While not what I wanted or expected, this is as close a product I’ve seen that rivals his genius and form of his stand up. A bonus in Top Five is it’s all star cast and cameos. I love when Hollywood veterans flock to a project. Whether good or bad, they’re ultimately fun, as I enjoyably found this. Here at BWLM we use The Source’s Classic Mic Rating System. Chris Rock scores 4 Mics, with Top Five...

Check out the trailer for Top Five here...