Now Playing
Critics & Publications
Archives: A-Z Index
Advanced Search

Upcoming Release Calendar
Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Film In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

38 12 Rounds
48 17 Again
76 Adventureland
48 Angels & Demons
54 Battle for Terra
xx Bruno
80 Coraline
40 Dance Flick
83 Drag Me to Hell
72 Earth
45 Fast & Furious
61 Fighting
34 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
72 Gran Torino
73 Hangover, The
47 Hannah Montana: The Movie
51 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
54 Imagine That
41 Knowing
32 Land of the Lost
56 Monsters vs. Aliens
34 My Life in Ruins
51 My Sister's Keeper
46 Next Day Air
42 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
54 Observe and Report
25 Obsessed
48 Proposal, The
70 Public Enemies
61 Soloist, The
83 Star Trek
64 State of Play
55 Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, The
52 Terminator Salvation
35 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
77 Under the Sea 3D
88 Up
43 X-Men Origins: Wolverine
34 Year One

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

sort by name

sort by score

67 $9.99
75 24 City
66 Adoration
74 Afghan Star
48 Alien Trespass
56 American Violet
82 Anvil! The Story of Anvil
57 Away We Go
81 Beaches of Agnes, The
62 Big Man Japan
28 Big Shot-Caller, The
78 Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story, The
55 Brothers Bloom, The
82 Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country
xx Call of the Wild
63 Cheri
62 Cherry Blossoms
63 Dead Snow
65 Departures
18 Downloading Nancy
58 Easy Virtue
70 End of the Line, The
77 Every Little Step
64 Examined Life
80 Food, Inc.
38 Gigantic
56 Girl from Monaco, The
67 Girlfriend Experience, The
87 Gomorrah
89 Goodbye Solo
63 Great Buck Howard, The
79 Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
xx Home
82 Hunger
91 Hurt Locker, The
16 I Hate Valentine's Day
81 Il Divo
54 Is Anybody There?
71 Jerichow
58 Julia
74 Lemon Tree
36 Life is Hot in Cracktown
40 Limits of Control, The
42 Little Ashes
64 Lymelife
50 Management
57 Merry Gentleman, The
66 Moon
35 New York
62 Not Forgotten
xx Offshore
78 O'Horten
64 Outrage
40 Paris 36
54 Pontypool
71 Pressure Cooker
52 Quiet Chaos
83 Revanche
67 Rudo y Cursi
86 Seraphine
65 Sex Positive
70 Shall We Kiss?
77 Sin Nombre
59 Sleep Dealer
74 Song of Sparrows, The
54 Stoning of Soraya M., The
82 Sugar
84 Summer Hours
61 Sunshine Cleaning
28 Surveillance
42 Tennessee
63 Tetro
64 Throw Down Your Heart
80 Tokyo Sonata
63 Tokyo!
70 Tony Manero
74 Treeless Mountain
88 Tulpan
74 Two Lovers
83 Tyson
83 U2 3D
60 Under Our Skin
69 Unmistaken Child
69 Valentino: The Last Emperor
22 What Goes Up
45 Whatever Works
57 Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Focus Features


7.3

based on 30 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 38 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: R for language

Starring Dave Chappelle, Kanye West, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, The Fugees, Andre 4000, and Cody Chestnutt

A genuine crowd-pleaser, Dave Chappelle's Block Party spotlights comedy superstar Dave Chappelle as he presents a Brooklyn neighborhood with its very own once-in-a-lifetime free block party. (Rogue Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Comedy \| Documentary \| Musical
WRITTEN BY:	Dave Chappelle
DIRECTED BY:	Michel Gondry
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: June 13, 2006 Theatrical: March 3, 2006
RUNNING TIME:	100 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

Also known as "Block Party"

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

The enthralling spirit of Dave Chappelle's Block Party, its mood of exuberant democracy, extends to every rap and soul performance in the film.

100

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Once in a great while there's a movie that's so funny, infectious and welcoming - a movie that makes you feel so good about America and the people in it - you just want to climb inside the screen and live there. That's the case with Dave Chappelle's Block Party - part comedy, part concert film, part avant-garde experiment, and all of it a joy.

100

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

The movie they've assembled is in the vein of 1973's "Wattstax," but it's much more than a concert documentary. It's a jubilant, civic-minded lollapalooza.

100

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

It's the best kind of complaint. You can see why the $50 million man refers to something he gave away as "the best single day of my career."

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

At a time when our country feels divided to the point of cracking, Dave Chappelle's Block Party feels like a salve. It's a defiant act of optimistic patriotism.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

Most fun of all, however, is basking in Chappelle's ability to be effortlessly funny. Whether he's making believe he's a pimp in a Dayton clothing store or charming little kids in the Bed-Stuy day-care center that was concert headquarters, his personality infuses the film with infectious good feelings.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

The comedian has had his ups and downs recently, but the film is pure up, a wonderfully genial and inclusive record -- not that the music is devoid of anger or social protest -- of a day-long, freestyle show.

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

The film, from its deadpan start to its languorous finish, provides the most joyous moviegoing experience in years.

The Hollywood Reporter Sheri Linden

The word "community" has become a cliche, but this party, both backstage and before the crowd, illustrates a specific sense of cultural community and the singular bliss of standing on a city street in late-summer rain for a once-in-a-lifetime concert.

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

Mr. Chappelle looks and sounds alternately ebullient and weary. It was directed by Michel Gondry, the madcap genius behind "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," but in its tone and vibe feels like Mr. Chappelle's all the way.

Chicago Tribune Allison Benedikt

An uplifting, funny and engaging star-studded affair.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Some of the movie's sunniest moments arrive as Chappelle ambles through Ohio. He's an observational comic with a drawling syntax that's almost as sly as Mark Twain's.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Block Party is largely a giant love-fest, which is fitting given the staggering amount of simpatico musical and comic talent on display, though some conflict surfaces nevertheless.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

There is a clear festive buzz, as attendees laugh, bob and listen to Chappelle's impish, inventive comedy, and some of the best music hip-hop has to offer.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

A wholly entertaining film, both as a musical experience and in seeing a fairly relaxed Dave Chappelle doing some of what he does best.

LA Weekly Ernest Hardy

Results in moments of real beauty that make you grateful Chappelle chose an aesthete for directing chores. And yet, in terms of content, the film doesn't quite reach the bar set by its historic predecessor (Wattstax).

Variety Joe Leydon

A heady spirit of spontaneity permeates the proceedings, suggesting the entire pic, much like the concert it documents, was conceived, planned and completed in a single burst of creative enthusiasm.

Village Voice Ed Halter

This picture remains faithful to the underlying affability of both Chappelle and Gondry, orchestrating a feel-good homestyle vibe that, while peppered with moments of sly political commentary, never harshes its own, slightly bittersweet mellow.

Empire Helen O'Hara

What gives the film its layers is the refusal to cut straight to the music.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

No background material is going to help the viewer who isn't already aware of why a Fugees reunion is such a cool thing to witness, but it's impossible not to get caught up in this party's good vibe.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

As for the movie, I've seen better comedy films and better concert films. It noodles around too much and gets distracted from the music. Michel Gondry, who directed, makes good fiction films but is not an instinctive documentarian and forgets that even a fly on the wall should occasionally find some peanut butter. As the record of a state of mind, however, the film is uncanny.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

The film doesn't shy away from the political side of hip-hop.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Besides being filled with Chappelle's hilarious sense of humor, the movie features life-affirming messages and great music by serious rap artists with political, socio-cultural and spiritual themes.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

The result is this infectious documentary, which combines some inspired musical performances with Chappelle's perpetually hilarious commentary.

Philadelphia Inquirer David Hiltbrand

Ain't nothin' but a party, y'all.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

The freestyle approach is an apt fit with the freestyle, spontaneous comedy, as both the playful director and affable star capture moments on the fly.

TV Guide Ken Fox

The film's highlights are far and away the musical performances.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

A return to rowdy form for Chappelle.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

It's a hell of a show, though none of the artists gets more than a single number, and most of Chappelle's comic interludes are half-baked. Funnier and more engaging are his perambulations around the neighborhood.

New York Post Kyle Smith

Strictly for fans of the musical acts and those who think everything Chappelle does is genius.

The average user rating for this movie is 7.3 (out of 10) based on 38 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Andrew etc gave it a5:
This was 10/10 for me, but this would be 0/10 if you didn't like the music. I fucking loved this. If you are fans of these guys, you will be fucking blown away by who shows up at the end, it was about the most exciting thing I saw all year in film. If you aren't, you won't give two shits about this. Skip this if you don't like Hip Hop or these artists, watch it if you do.

Jason J. gave it a10:
Great film. It just one those movies that makes you feel good for some reason.

A K gave it a9:
The humor was really that great, but I really enjoyed the overall movie. The entire concept of a free, surprise concert that doesn't have some corporate spin is pretty cool. Instead, the 'spin' was a scheme to perpetrate random acts of kindness on regular people and develop some fellowship among famous people. And get it on film, which is heartwarming and impressive. Kind of interesting to hear from who were annoyed that it featured hip-hop music. Maybe the long list of hip-hop acts with pictures of the people involved on the movie poster / DVD cover might have been a clue. Further, if you don't like Dave Chappelle and you completely hate hip-hop, perhaps you can put your noodle together and steer clear of a movie named "Dave Chappelle's Block Party."

Derek E. gave it a9:
How do you not like this movie? I mean, I understand if you don't like the music.... This wasn't necessarily supposed to be some hilarious comedy-fest. It was a documentary about Dave Chapelle organizing an awesome concert, you shouldn't expect it to play out like a standup routine or something. It's funny, the music is cool, there's some suprising insight into life and humankind in general interspersed throughout... just a solid movie, and exactly what I expected for a collaboration between Chapelle and Gondry.

Tim M. gave it a9:
This movie is not about comedy or just making you laugh. I went into the theater expecting a long "chapelle show" episode intertwined with musical performances. Though I love the show, I was pleasantly suprised with the overall feel of the joy of humanity, culture, and love that permeated throughout the film. i saw this with my girlfriend, she doesn't even like dave, but she really liked the movie as well. plus the music was freakin sweet. i didn't know gondry directed this til just now; looking back, i can see elements from his craft showing through. definitely awesome. not good if you're just looking for jokes; you will be disappointed. basically, if you're smart and a good person, you will like it. if you're shallow and self-centered, you won't. peace

Kurt T. gave it a10:
I must say, I really loved watching this film. Probably one of the best documentary films of this year.

Timothy S. gave it a10:
It was a very good, well-put together concert documentary. Dave Chappelle gives forth input as he demonstrates his prowess to be a comedic genius, and he also shows the other side to hip-hop, showing the art side of it relating to the everyday struggles of their upbringing and the people around them. Together this picture brings them and people all over the world together for a great night in New York. If you just expect a slapstick comedy, this may not exactly be what you had in mind. But if you want to sit back, relax, think a little a bit about issues, and hear classic Dave Chappelle comedy engaged into the music from the all-star cast of musicians headed by Kanye West and the reunited Fugees and several more, than this movie may be a highly suggested viewing, and you may get more than you bargained for.

Dave Chappelle's Block Party Focus Features

Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Focus Features