The story of performer Rudy Ray Moore, who assumed the role of an iconic pimp named Dolemite during the 1970s.
Whatever happened to Eddie Murphy? He used to be in everything, and then he dropped off the map for a while, and Chris Hart and then Kevin Hart became the new "loud" black comedian in movies. One could put it down to the oversaturation of Eddie Murphy films where he played, in essence, the exact same character in every film; an issue that Rock and Hart inherited. Adam Sandler is another example of the one-dimensional typecast character, that has the downside of diminishing returns every time you see it. The same thing could be said about Dwayne 'The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham in the action genre.
Eddie Murphy is back in Dolemite Is My Name, a film where Eddie Murphy does his usual Eddie Murphy schtick. This time it works really well. You could put its success down to the fact that this is likely a biopic based on a Blaxploitation actor that would have been a direct influence and inspiration to Murphy himself growing up, the length of time it has been since there has been a wide release of a Murphy film (absence makes the heart grow fonder), or simply put, the balance of comedy and drama in the film.
This is not a "balls-to-the-wall" comedy that is based on constant physical comedy and fart jokes from start to finish. The screenplay is written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski--who has previously written screenplays for the biographical films, Ed Wood and The People Vs. Larry Flynt--and puts forward a great balance of witty (but still low brow) humour that appeals to the masses, with a strong racially-derived underdog story.
The strength of the film is in its tone. It's rude, crude, and all manner of lewd, with generous helpings of nudity, violence, and explicit language that brings back nostalgia for those days before political correctness "went mad". The story basically turns Dolemite Is My Name into its own blaxploitation film, that follows a similar narrative direction to The Disaster Artist.
Despite the very crude content (so many "mother***kers" and "c***suckers" in the dialogue), the story manages to have mature undertones, that focus on blaxploitation actor Rudy Ray Moore's perseverance and tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds. One can always appreciate a reminder of how people have battled to attain the same level of respect as those born into privilege. The writing is surprisingly competent and manages to pass on a wealth of information and development in the character of Moore in the opening scene of the film. This concise and measured scriptwriting keeps Dolemite on the right path. There are a couple of scenes, where things take a dive tonally, but it is swiftly overcome, keeping things upbeat.
The cast is immense and a who's who of black talent. Eddie Murphy, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Wesley Snipes, Tip "T.I." Harris, Chris Rock, and Snoop Dogg all grace the screen in a variety of roles, from cameos to full supporting roles. Snipes does an exceptional job as the unavoidably pretentious D'Urville Martin, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph injecting a great emotional perspective (as well as some much-needed sass) with her character of Lady Reed.
What else is there really to say? The costuming and production set designs were impeccable, especially when compared to real footage in the credits (because this is a biographical film). The acting was hokey, but that is exactly what it was meant to be. The outfits were outlandishly awkward and brightly coloured with some questionable facial hair choices, but that is what the '70s were like. The cars are classics, and the buildings look well-grimey as you would expect of Los Angeles in that time period.
Eddie Murphy has come back full force with a role that really fits him. At times he seems to disappear into the role so well that you forget this is Eddie Murphy. You get so drawn into the story's emotion and energy that you forget who it is that you are watching. They truly become who they are portraying.
It is still all about blaxploitation, so be prepared to laugh your ass off at the absurdity of it all. The record store worker that makes racy jokes and acts like a pimp to try gain that comedy club following. It feels like a blaxploitation plot in itself but is based on a true story and real people. Very entertaining, but probably best not to let the kids see it.