A Low Down Dirty Shame

I get the idea that the movie was tongue in cheek, and there are some good laughs, but the acting is terrible and it felt like a cheap 80's straight to video movie. Just not my thing, but I can understand why some will like it.

I found this movie to be quite over the top. Sure, the mass destruction is reminiscent of the Blues Brothers. Sure, the action and hype is quite over-rated. That's what makes Keenan Ivory Wayans the talent that he is. I find that I like to watch this movie when I am down in the dumps and in need of a distraction.

Jada Pinkett (later Smith) shines in this role. I have a sneaking suspicion that she's quite a lot like this character in real life. She made this movie, and I think it launched her for future good acting roles. Girlfriend doesn't ride Will's coatails, she's established on her own in my book.

The characters in the movie needed to be taken at face value, that was all they were worth. If you took an instant dislike to any of them, you were supposed to. The plot is a no brainer, and the jokes were quite funny even if you view this movie excessively. You WILL catch yourself wandering around saying lines from the movie....a true mark of a decent film.

I recommend it for a burst of energy on an otherwise boring weeknight. Happy viewing.

The movie was not the greatest, I agree, but it was entertaining. It had a lot of action and humor. The acting, though not superb, was in general, decent. As long as I'm entertained, can laugh, cry or be scared out of my wits by a performance, then I recommended the movie. I am a firm believer that if a person doesn't like what he/she are watching, they can leave or turn the dial.

I enjoyed this film, and it holds up fairly well with repeated viewings.

But more importantly, this film has historical importance.

First of all, this film is drawing very heavily on Hong Kong action thrillers at a time when these were just getting attention in the US.

Secondly, compare this film very carefully with the Samuel Jackson "remake" of "Shaft", released - with enormous hype - in 2000.

I don't know why Wayans didn't sue for plagiarism. Samuel Jackson's Shaft is Shame without humor.

Unfortunately, the humor is absolutely essential to this story. For one thing, it creates a "black" identity that is capable of rising above any Hollywood appropriation of it. Shame's secretary - and real romantic interest - is a strong black woman - a character type that Hollywood has finally admitted actually exists only very recently, since about 2001.

So Samuel Jackson's Shaft gets a x-million dollars promo, and still can't come up with an interesting story (although it was nice to see Richard roundtree on the screen again).

Meanwhile, let's talk about entertainment - alright, there are some bits that don't work; but enough do to keep the film moving. I had good time; what the heck.

A Low Down Dirty Shame is really no more than all the most familiar Cop movie clichés arranged in an order that makes a barely cohesive story. But it's all the fun and silly action that occurs in between that really matters! It's a bit like The Last Boy Scout from a spoof-blaxploitation angle.

Shame (Keenan Ivory Wayans) is a former cop who has been blackballed after a major drugs bust went awry, leaving several DEA agents dead. He now works as a private detective, taking on suicide missions for peanuts and barely scraping by. His disapproving secretary Peaches (a very funny and very, very small Jada Pinkett) wants him to get his act together but he's too busy wallowing in self-pity.

His old pal from the DEA shows up and offers him a side mission to help get back at the Drug Kingpin who ruined his career. And so, with only a few clues, Shame begins his search and soon all roads lead to lies and deception. Like I said, the plot is certainly nothing special. But it does contain a helluva lot of laughs and decent action.

The one thing I can complain of is that the production design is kind of dated now. Action films have evolved so much in the past decade that watching ALDDS 12 years on can be a bit distracting. Wayans (who also directs as well as writing and starring) too often shoots non-actions scenes like a sitcom and his light-hearted editing may help remind you that this totally AIN'T a serious film but it's a little TV-ish if you know what I mean.

If you find ALDDS for cheap somewhere or if it's showing on TV then don't con yourself out of a fun movie. High art is not what this film aims to be.