MOVIE - MARTIN LAWRENCE LIVE: RUNTELDAT - $$$$$ 1/2 (OUT OF 10)
It's a testament to Martin Lawrence's talent and standing, in the entertainment fraternity, that he was able to get Paramount and MTV Films to support this movie project. With the advent of HBO and Pay T.V., such movies are even rarer today, than in Richard Pryor's prime.
Comedy, often the poor, unappreciated cousin to drama, is tough to do well. Its also tough for good comedians to stay on top. Steve Martin, George Carlin, Jerry Sienfeld and Richard Pryor are all examples of this phenomena. Martin Lawrence is not an exception to this rule of thumb. There are large parts of RunTelDat that are neither overly original or funny.
Lawrence has had a wild ride, recently, filled with extreme personal highs and lows. The fact that he has survived it all is a testament to his character. It hasn't helped his comedic timing though. His sense of gratitude, to God, surfaces several times throughout the show. While I commend him for seeking to put out a positive message of sorts, amid the constant use of the "N" word and other four letter curses, it more than once disrupted the flow of the show dramatically. Even his hometown audience seems non-pulsed at times. It would have been better to save it up for a humorous summation.
About halfway through the movie, he begins to discuss his recent, well documented run-ins, with the police. This is where the movie starts to be truly funny. A combination of honesty and self-defecating humour ( a play on words you'll understand if you see the film) succeeds in redeeming this otherwise lackluster effort.
There were about 10 other people in the theater when I saw this movie. The crowd appeared equally divided in their reaction. Some were laughing to kill themselves, the rest (myself included), occasionally chuckled. I'd personally wait for the video release but then again that's just my opinion.
Alternate Reviews:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert1/wkp-news-martin02f.html
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/MartinLawrenceLiveRunteldat-1115823/
Official Website:
http://www.martinlawrencelive.com/
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2003
David Schwartz.
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