MAKE YOUR OWN LEGEND.
In 1970s Los Angeles, Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) finds standup-comedy success after inventing a foul-mouthed stage persona for himself called Dolemite; then he comes up with the crazy idea of making a movie. The screenwriters once wrote Ed Wood (1994), so they know how to tell the story about a struggling artist who finally turned his career around and became a blaxploitation star; a true entertainer for regular working-class black audiences who even came to inspire early rappers. Murphy’s first R-rated film in 20 years has a perfect part for him; this boisterous cast also features a hilarious over-the-top performance by Wesley Snipes. Funny and vibrant throughout.
2019-U.S. 117 min. Color. Produced by John Davis, John Fox, Eddie Murphy. Directed by Craig Brewer. Screenplay: Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski. Cast: Eddie Murphy (Rudy Ray Moore), Keegan-Michael Key (Jerry Jones), Mike Epps (Jimmy Lynch), Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Da’Vine Joy Randolph… Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Snoop Dogg, Bob Odenkirk.
Last word: “I don’t know if you’ve ever had to see two writers pitch an idea, but they have to rehearse as to who’s doing which part of the pitch. Larry and Scott spent a week working on this pitch for Netflix. They went in and, literally, as they inhaled to pitch, Eddie walks in, does 20 minutes of Rudy Ray Moore, leaves, and they said, ‘Well, get to writing.’ They didn’t say a damn thing. They didn’t say anything. Just Eddie came in and did it and they were like, ‘Well, obviously, we’re making this movie. So, go off and do it.’ Larry and Scott didn’t say a damn thing.” (Brewer, Collider)
