Who's the Man?

African-American comedies have always appealed to me. Movies like HOUSE PARTY, CLASS ACT, and DON'T BE A MENACE TO...... After seeing movies like I GOT THE HOOK UP and FRIDAY, I started to lose my feel for them. But I was going through my video library and came upon WHO'S THE MAN?. The movie had some down right funny jokes, fast paced, and good music. It was also interesting to see an all-star hip-hop cast. Give this one a try.

Come on, people! This is when hip-hop really started to appeal to the masses, and if it's dated, then so am I! This film has moments that make the entire experience worthwhile. There are some jokes that are still genuinely funny, and the "message" continues to be timeless: do good by people and do good by your neighbors and your neighborhood.

If you are at ALL a fan of hip-hop (hell, I'm a white girl from the midwest, so if I call myself a fan, I should think that everyone who ever drew breath has to be *something* of a fan), you're going to enjoy this one, if for no other reason than the innumerable cameo apperances! You can see some favorites who have sadly left this realm (Run DMC), or those who started in hip-hop and found their way to the Academy Awards (go ahead, Queen Latifah!). And this is where I might be dating myself a bit, but has hip hop been as good since these days? I put this DVD on and find myself rump-shakin throughout the house. Yeah, I might have mentioned -- white girl from the midwest. :)

American Beauty this ain't. But if you want some giggles on a Friday night, and it's a cheap rental, I can't say a bad thing about this flick. It makes me wish "Yo! MTV Raps" was still on the air, and that's one helluva statement.

Nobody makes me laugh like Denis Leary so when I first heard about this movie, I was dying to see it. I kept trying to rent it at the video store, but every time I went, it was checked out so I gave up trying to get it for a while. A few months later, I caught it on TV and I laughed my butt off. Although Denis Leary wasn't in it as much as I would have liked, I loved it. It instantly became one of my favorites despite all of its flaws. The cast is great, especially Doctor Dre and Ed Lover in what are sadly their only starring roles to date. The supporting cast, which consists of some of the coolest people ever, is great as well. I thought there was a good chance that this movie would really suck, but I was wrong. This is a classic 90s film. Movies like this just aren't made anymore. ***

"Who's the Man?" is a very easy watch. It's a funny movie. It has a good story and it's filled with a lot of funny characters. It has a great running time (85 min) and a lot of good music. Ed Lover and Dr Dre are really funny together. If they were allowed to make a few more movies, they may have joined the ranks of the great comedy teams. Unfortunately, we'll never know. Everyone else in the cast is good/very good. Jim Moody and Denis Leary are two of the stand-outs. I should watch "Who's the Man?" more often. Honorable mention: the final shot.

I recently rewatched Who's the Man (1993) on Tubi. The storyline follows two best friends in New York who are struggling financially and lack direction in life. When the local police department becomes desperate for recruits, they decide to try out-assuming they have no chance of getting selected... until they do.

Directed by Ted Demme (Blow), the film stars Ed Lover (Undisputed), Doctor Dré (Juice), Ice-T (New Jack City), Bernie Mac (Bad Santa), Denis Leary (Suicide Kings), and Bill Bellamy (Fled).

As a teenager, I loved this movie as a companion piece to Yo! MTV Raps. It boasts an impressive lineup of rapper cameos and a fun soundtrack (which I definitely had as a kid). While the story and acting are rough, Bernie Mac and Denis Leary deliver hilarious performances that make it worthwhile. The premise has a Police Academy-style vibe with a street-smart spin, though it leans into the ridiculous.

In conclusion, Who's the Man is a nostalgic rap movie with a few redeeming elements, but it's still pretty bad. I'd score it a 4/10.