First Sunday

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The movie as a whole is pleasant, generally satisfying, and has a heart as big as its funny bone. For an early January movie, this is sometimes as good as it gets.

Village Voice Nick Pinkerton

At first, the movie is over-anxious--trying too hard to squeeze out the laughs, pump up the soundtrack, ingratiate itself with the audience--and the straining is abrasive. But once Talbert gets distracted by keeping the plot clunking along, the comedy eases into relaxed sideline banter.

Chicago Tribune Jessica Reaves

The movie’s total lack of focus and its unimpressive script should render it totally unwatchable. Weirdly, that doesn’t quite happen. There’s something endearing about these characters.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan are the nominal stars of First Sunday, but it's Katt Williams who steals the show in this by turns trite and mildly amusing B-comedy.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

First Sunday sometimes feels more like a script read-through than like an actual movie, but its warmth is likely to carry you through the stretches of cliché and tedium.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

A corny yet unexpectedly moving scene in which Morgan is moved to tears by Loretta Devine's simple kindness helps make the film's shift into inspirational drama far more palatable than it really has any right to be.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

This heist comedy has a hackneyed introduction, and its feel-good ending lacks credibility, but the big, funny chunk in the middle marks writer-director-producer David E. Talbert as a talent to watch.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

The movie is so confused about itself that it comes across as toneless, a bunch of characters wandering around in a story no one is controlling.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Though Ice Cube and Morgan should make an ideal team, neither seems particularly comfortable grappling with Talbert's amateurish script. Most of the laughs, in fact, come from the strong supporting cast, led by a high-energy Williams and the unflappable Devine.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

The second half of the film is much funnier and warmer than the first, but the movie is still difficult to recommend.

Entertainment Weekly Chris Nashawaty

If Tyler Perry ever wanted to turn "Dog Day Afternoon" into a treacly after-school special, it would probably end up looking a lot like this.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

First Sunday is simply a case of wasting gifted performers on material that feels slapped together and unshaped.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Tyler Perry has already been here and done that to such a degree that this particular cinematic field should now be plowed under and salted so that nothing might grow thereupon forevermore. Amen.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

It plods along at a sluggard's pace through a weak premise with crude execution and even cruder characters to arrive at an unearned sentimental ending.

Variety Brian Lowry

A near-claustrophobic comedy that manages to be both predictable and preachy. Solid actors in supporting roles offer minor redemption.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

A slack combination of faith-based inspiration and broad 'hood comedy.

USA Today Claudia Puig

A misguided attempt at comedy that needs to go last on anyone's list of movie options.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

The problems with First Sunday extend well beyond the hokey premise and predictable performances to the fundamentals of script, direction and tone.

New York Post Kyle Smith

A heist comedy in which the audience gets robbed.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

A sorry excuse for a ghetto SOS.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Drawing comparisons to "The Wire" may be unfair, but taken on its own, this anemic vehicle for Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan to mug and jive through is just weak, weak stuff.