CB4

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love the fact that they pretty much play on the myth that most rappers are essentially middle class kids who've never even smelled the ghetto but try to pass themselves off as true "gangstas". Chris Rock and the rest of the cast make this one of the funniest movies of all time as well as a great commentary on the music business. Also, Allen Payne shows that he has a great flair for comedy as he plays Rip and Candy Alexander shines as Cissy. She pretty much has fun playing the stereotypical groupie that everyone has written about from rockers to rappers. This film really is a classic.

When CB4 lampoons the rap industry (and its image in white society), this movie really rolls. When it goes back to the 'plot' of the film (involving some jailed gangster and his revenge on CB4), you might have to fight to stay awake. Thankfully, the first hour of the movie is content to be a satire, and takes many well-aimed shots at 'gangsta rap' and the stereotypes it perpetrates. However, as soon as CB4 begin to wonder what they've become, you might want to hit the ol' fast-forward button. (Melodrama and cliched plot are murder for satires.) Chris Rock is funny as always, and the rest of the cast is surprisingly solid.

After watching CB4 I'm wondering how much royalties they had to pay because a lot of those gangsta tunes sounded very familiar. The music was actually the best thing about this movie, along with some good comical scenes. I laughed four or five times, good laughs, but overal that's not enough for a comedy. Parodizing the west coast rap gangstas was funny, the real artists appearing in a couple scenes was also nice to see, but it was the soundtrack that enjoyed the most. The story itself isn't that great, the acting is okay but not from everybody. CB4 is good to watch once but saying it's the greatest rapumentary of all time, to quote another reviewer, is highly exaggerated.

CB4 (1993) is a childhood favorite that's in the DVD collection and I recently watched for the first time in a long time on Tubi. The storyline follows a group of friends that are trying to find their way in the rap world and find their lane in gangster rap. Their history and lifestyle doesn't fit their lyrics, but that doesn't stop them from hitting their grove and having success. However, they don't expect success to expose their flaws and challenge their friendships...but it does.

This movie is directed by Tamra Davis (Half Baked) and stars Chris Rock (Boomerang), Allen Payne (New Jack City), Chris Elliot (Groundhog Day), Charlie Murphy (Norbit), Khandi Alexander (Scandal), Theresa Randle (Bad Boys), Isaac Hayes (Escape from New York) and Rachel True (The Craft).

This is an elite hip hop comedy parody and I adored how they tied in the real life hip hop artists from the era and the perceived lifestyle. The acting in this is top notch and this is one of Chris Rock's all time greatest performances. Charlie Murphy, Phil Hartman (Jingle all the Way) and Khandi Alexander deliver tremendous supporting performances. The writing is clever with fun scenarios, great dialogue, one liners and wild circumstances. The ladies in this are gorgeous, especially Alexander, and Wackee Dee was a hilarious character (played by Stoney Jackson, Trespass). The evolution of the friendship is well depicted and the ending is rewarding.

Overall, this is a classic that's an absolute must see. I would score this a 7/10 and strongly recommend it.

I am writing this review upon seeing the move, CB4, for the third time. Even after watching this film twice, I still managed to laugh my way through 99% of the jokes. This movie showcases Chris Rock's unique and funny blend of black comedy which was still relatively unknown in his immediate post-SNL period of his career. The jokes are fast and fresh, and come one after another and still manage to get chuckles out of the audience. CB4 follows such films as Spinal Tap, in using the mockumentary style. CB4 provides a documentary for a rap group headed by Albert, Chris Rock. Rock's already established views on black culture fit in very well in his role as a middle class black man pretending to be a gangsta rapper. The supporting cast of Allen Payne and Deezer D as Euripides and Otis respectively, provide great personas for Rock to joke off of. The movie climaxes in a typical Chris Rock humorous way and leaves the audience feeling satisfied and happy. The movie is also enhanced by some killer cameos in the beginning by such rapping stars as, Shaq(during his ill-fated rapping days), Ice-T, Ice-Cube, and some other famous rappers. In a nutshell: I am only waiting for this film to be released on DVD so I can watch it over and over again.