In setting Andre on his search for self, Mr. Rock has carved out a third way, in the process creating a black character who’s fully human and a comedy that’s wholly a blast.
As brilliantly funny as Chris Rock is, he's never been able to replicate the high-voltage danger and electricity of his stand-up act on the big screen. But in his latest film, the sharply satirical Top Five, he not only makes a case for why he should be a bona fide movie star, he also proves he's a writer-director to be reckoned with.
This movie is fantastic, I don't see how it is possible to not laugh all the way through this. It isn't like Will Ferrell type funny, it was more like a Chris Rock stand up comedy show turned into a movie. If you don't find this movie funny then your sense of humor is lacking.
It's probably a good idea to avoid hyperbole when reviewing a movie for the first time, but here goes anyway. Top Five is well written, smart, very funny, and performed brilliantly. It's poignant, risky, risque, crude, and sensitive to it's material while completely disregarding viewer sensibility. So gentlemen, don't bring a date until you screen it yourself! But do a friend a favor, and bring a buddy. I'm going to now, because I have to see it again. I haven't laughed as hard or been this surprised by a film in a very long time. I had been wondering why I didn't know what my favorite movie of the 2014 was, and now I know. It was because I hadn't seen Chris Rock kill it with this one.
It’s a big leap forward for Rock as both an actor and a filmmaker, written and directed with the nervous, live-wire energy that has eluded his on-screen work for so long.
Top Five is that movie precisely so good and yet still so flawed that you can watch greatness slip out of its ambitious but awkward reach right in front of your eyes.
Oh my god, where to begin. Chris Rock has been funny since day one. He is hilarious as hell. Multiple hilarious moments in the movie, if you guys hadn't seen the movie yet, go see it. It's so funny.
This is a movie about Chris' Rock's point of view in 2014. The problem is NOBODY can relate to Chris Rock's point of view. Unless you are a rich, black, celebrity who is too smart for stupid people and too unpretentious for smart people... you will find yourself unable to relate.
It also feels old. Much of the film feels as though it was produced by Kevin Smith's protege. The problem is that even Kevin Smith isn't Kevin Smith any longer. The movie feels slow and overcommits to jokes that you will find funny or not within the first 10 seconds. If you don't think the idea of a woman finding out her boyfriend is **** is funny, well, sorry, you're going to have to find something else to do for the next 7 minutes of screen time because we're milking this for all it's worth!
Chris Rock taking on the directors chair... should be interesting.
The story is about a comedian is looking to ditch his funny-guy image in order to make a go at becoming a serious actor. Things are complicated when his reality-star wife decides the best place for their upcoming wedding it on her TV show.
Actors taking on the directors chair isn't all that new. We seen many actors direct a movie that normally can turn out great or turn out bad. Like for example Ben Affleck when he did Argo, Gone Baby Gone and The Town which by the way where great movies. And you also get by actors who failed misery like Angelina Jolie with In the Land of Blood and Honey. And Top Five isn't bad but I didn't really enjoy the movie that much to be honest.
Let's start of with the positive: Chris Rock directed this movie pretty good. I can tell he directed the hell out of this movie and it dose show and I can safely say that he did great and I would love to see him director other movies in the future. He also wrote the film as well and they was some really funny parts and they where also other parts where the writing felt a bit off for me. All the cast do fine and Chris Rock did fine too.
Now for the things that I didn't like at all: For a comedy movie I laugh about four times and that's really it. The movie didn't really do it for me. Now just because I said it didn't do it for me, doesn't mean it might on you. I get the films message about how celebrities not getting the full respect and being treated like gods but their only human, yeah yeah yeah, I get it, good message through. I tried to like this movie I really did, but I just didn't do it for. But hey who knows, you may like it more than I did (or in joy it I mean)
Overall Top Five has I said before isn't bad, it's just "eh". And I bet this movie isn't going to be brought up again in the late future, I might be wrong but we will wait and see.
I will never see a Chris Rock film ever again. Cedric the ET'er and Tracy Morgan were the funniest things. They are 5 minutes of the film. Long gaps between laughs. Everything happens in 1 day? Totally stupid ending. I thought this was it, totally disappointing.
You can wait to see this movie on DVD. Some laughs. Fine with the heterosexual ranchiness (funny and got the point across). The use of the N word (cringe worthy - really unnecessary) the first 30 minutes (and then none after that) demonstrates the lack of substance in this movie and writing. Chris Rock doesn't pick on people in the audience for his standup - why the use of the N word? He himself uses the word to describe black people. I'm paying to be insulted? There was more N word than other foul language by many of the comedians. Geez whiz! Good writing allows you to stay out of the sewer. Storyline reminded of a previous Rock movie with Kerry Washington and Gina Torres. Many placements of comedians with many laughs but again Rock misses the connection between story lines. Waiting for another standup movie from Chris Rock once I find out I won't be insulted. Stick to standup Chris. Signed James Nielsen. (BTW - after the outstanding review for American Hustle everywhere online it seems now most critics are getting paid so watch for real reviews - not the ones by paid critcs)