Star der Nächte

I was both surprised and happy to see 'Chocolate City' name drop 'Magic Mike' right off the bat. It was a smart move because you know it was the direct comparison viewers were gonna make. This tale aptly takes place in Atlanta and of course features the African American side to male strippers. A formula plot, but with likable characters & delivers the visuals females will enjoy.

Michael (Robert Ri'chard) has a partial scholarship to college, minimum wage job, attends church and a family strapped for cash. A chance meeting with Princeton (Michael Jai White) lands him a job that of course turns out to be stripping. Michael in shape and a good dancer takes to the money as he plays a balancing act of secrecy from both his mom (Vivica A. Fox) and girlfriend Carmen (Imani Hakim).

Notable cast includes Carmen Electra as the club DJ, singer Ginuwine & male model Tyson Beckford as fellow strippers while writer/director Jean-Claude La Marre plays the local church pastor. It's really Ri'chard's likability and the screen presence of White that stood out for me in rehashed drama. You have to accept how quickly Michael's reluctance for this line of work goes away. Then the speed at which he becomes a star and lies to everyone around him.

The rest offers no surprises. Failing school grades. A concerned mother wondering where all the money is coming from. A barely developed feud with an a-hole stripper. A girlfriend who finds out the truth and the fallout. I'm obviously not the right demographic, but for a dtv flick about male strippers this could have been 10X worse.

This movie was complete, utter, crap! I hate when movies are advertised, and sold, on the sex appeal. Yet, when you watch the film, it feels like you're watching the God damn Disney Channel. There was practically NO NUDITY! what so ever in Chocolate City. Which really frustrates me (if you couldn't tell). Because in all the advertisements for this freaking movie there were tag-lines like: "Better than Magic Mike" "Come see the real magic" BLAH BLAH BLAH!

This movie was supposed to be better than Magic Mike? I think not. Both films had shitty plot lines, shitty actors (except for few), but at least Magic Mike had nudity! Every actor in Magic Mike got nude. MULTIPLE TIMES.

In Chocolate City? Well, only Tyson Beckford got naked-for a fraction of a millisecond. Like, God damn, I saw Tyson more nude on his freaking Instagram. Ugh, I am so angry! This movie is like 50 Shades of Grey; sold on the sex appeal, but doesn't deliver. And Chocolate City actually had real-life strippers stripping in the movie. Yet, they don't get naked either? What in the actual hell! You can Google these strippers and see more nudity than what was shown in this damn movie. NONE!

And it's not like I was looking for porn when I went to see Chocolate City. I was just looking for what the advertisements promised: magic. Yet, I got a Sesame Street take on Magic Mike? Yawn....

I figure the greedy Director is saving all the good shots for the DVD (which, honestly, I'll buy, but I won't be happy about it). This movie just doesn't seem finished. And I, literally, wanted to blow my brains out trying to get through the corny church scenes. Sweet baby Jesus!

With movies like this, I can put up with all the shortcomings, IF there is a payoff. There was none. And I want my money back!

People, just wait for the unrated DVD. I'm sure that'll be better.

The gorgeous Robert Ri'chard stars in a typical college student- come-stripper story in Chocolate City. Urged by his brother Chris McCoy, played by a sorta-funny DeRay Davis, Michael McCoy somehow finds his way (who really cares how he got there we just care that he is there) to a dance floor where he dances topless for cash. I don't want to spoil the movie for you (ha ha) but I must say, I don't understand why anyone who is even remotely attracted to the male species would give this movie less than 10 stars. This movie delivered EXACTLY the package it sells, and more. The dancers unfold like chocolates out of a Godiva box! Bitter Dark (Tyson Beckford), Sweet Caramel (Robert), Hunky Milk Chocolate (don't know his name but he is the first dancer and he alone was worth the ticket). The dancing was crazy! 1000% better than Magic Mike (sorry Channing) on sexiness of the dance, much smoother and gave you a glimpse at what REALLY goes down in the club, not the watered down version.

Moral of this critique is - if you like looking at hot men, you will LOVE this movie. If you are looking for a great, life changing movie with an amazing script that grips your emotions and inspires you to look at life differently you will probably not find that here. Unless of course you started the movie not liking men and then by the end became a full fledged queen, which I could totally see happening. They were that hot.

Wasn't this suppose to be some competition to the upcoming magic mike xxl? Guess not. Looks like it flopped so bad that I'm literally watching it right now on B.E.T. All that hype for nothing. Lmfao. Guess this is one rip-off that ain't getting no love. Tyson Beckford acting career seems to continue to go downhill. Second flop in the same year. First one being Addicted. Which was yet another ripoff. That one copied 50 shades of Grey. That one didn't even get released on blu ray. Just DVD. Wtf. That's the first time I ever, ever, ever heard of that happening. Even the movie The Interview, which was to be released in theaters but was banned or something due to the way it portrayed Korea, was released on Netflix but still got a blu ray release as well.

Clicked on this TRAIN WRECK of a movie under "Hometown Hub Atlanta" What a mistake tons of B and C list actors, bad script annd most offensive of all NOT filmed IN Atlanta!! They used tge ATL skyline in the opening scenes, but that was it!! The rest of the movie was California or some place with PALM trees!

Atlanta has lots of things but Palm trees are definately not one of them!! Watch this if you are missing some second tier actors from the 80s and 90s, no other reason to watch.