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Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Focus Features


7.3

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

based on 37 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 37 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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 S. gave it a0:
I generally agree with metacritic ratings but this movie was awful, it is a BET concert that is not even that good, just watch tv at 3 am and you see the same thing. not a single joke worth laughing to.

Joe gave it a9:
Very impressive, wonderfully presented. Dave was extremely funny, and the music was outstanding.

Eldon gave it an8:
Uh, yeah... no... it's not stand up comedy. Get over your whining you babies. If a movie has the power to "take" something from your life, you don't have much of one to begin with. And that is, in part, what this movie is about... life. It's rare that a movie can capture the passion and fire of a community, of humanity in it's many faces. And then to express it with such artistry?! The "joke" here is on those who just don't get it.

Dave Chappelle's Block Party Focus Features

Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Focus Features