The definition of nonsense

mattymatt4ever

I would go on and on about how stupid and senseless this movie is, but it's not worth wasting my energy.  Here is the basic punchline of this one-joke comedy (if that's what you consider it):  The main character, Pootie Tang, blurts out a bunch of words and phrases that no one understands but the characters in the story.  Oh, my God!  You must be falling out your seat laughing!!!  

Now, we had the character of Farmer Fran in "The Waterboy" who did the same routine, but it worked.  First of all, Blake Clark is a much better comic actor than Lance Crouthers--and has a barotone voice that alone makes you crack up.  And second, he wasn't the main character, so the joke wasn't played out to tedium.  

Even a silly joke has to make some sort of sense.  In one scene, Pootie is in a recording studio, recording his new song.  He asks the studio executive to turn down the sound.  So what we hear is...nothing!  Literally nothing! And everyone goes crazy over Pootie's new single!  It's the talk of the town!  A song that composes of nothing!  OK, so "Seinfeld" (my favorite show of all time) was a show about nothing, but it's the kind of nothing everyone can relate to.  Everyday characters in everyday situations who go through normal, everyday routines.  

I try to be gentle with comedies, but if a comedy doesn't make you laugh--what do you have??  I've seen stupid comedies before that made me laugh out loud (i.e.:  "Dirty Work," "Saving Silverman"), but this is just plain stupidity!  Where's the laughs?  Damned if I know.


I've never watched "The Chris Rock Show" (don't have premium cable), but I hope the sketches on his show is a lot funnier than this disastrous vehicle. Louis C.K. (the writer/director) is one of the writers on Chris' show, and most of the cast composes of the regulars on the show.  Of course, Chris Rock himself has to be in it--in three roles!!  Chris is a talented comedian, but with material this lame he couldn't even milk any humor out of each scene.  And what the hell is up with Robert Vaughn??  This formerly respectable actor has only turned up in roles in campy comedies like this over the past years.  First he was in "Joe's Apartment."  OK, I found that movie oddly appealing, but he still had a thankless, embarrassing role. Then it was "Baseketball."  And now "Pootie Tang"!  Wanda Sykes is also a regular on Chris' show and unfortunately she had to be dragged into this project, just like with Chris' other disastrous comedy "Down to Earth."  I like Wanda, I've seen her stand-up acts and she is absolutely hilarious. But even she couldn't bring out any laughs.  

This is the kind of camp that doesn't even have potential to become a cult classic.  I'm sure everyone who participated in this project, twenty years from now, will probably make sure every copy of this film is burned.  I'm only giving this movie a vote of 3, because I got a few chuckles towards the end.  Nevertheless, this is still awful, awful, awful....

My score:  3 (out of 10)

score 3/10

mattymatt4ever 17 December 2001

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0755391/