Sprung

First off, there's a scene in the beginning where the protagonist is being made fun of for wearing this shirt. I used to have that exact same shirt! I still might around here somewhere.

But that's not my this movie gets a mediocre rating. I actually found the shirt part funny. I think I got that shirt at Burlington Coat Factory? The shirt is more memorable than this comedy. And this is more of a sweet love story than a comedy and that's okay. But we came for the laughs and not so much the love.

The cast is amazing. Wow. I don't even know what some of these actors were doing in this?

Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley?

Clarence Williams III?

Legends, all of them in bit parts. Had to be a favor.

The director, Rusty Cundieff, is also the star. Which makes sense because I didn't recognize the dude here in 2023.

But he also wrote and directed Tales from the Hood just a couple of years before this.

I love that movie! It's not only one of my favorite 90's movies, it's one of my favorite horror movies of all time!

But this movie doesn't work.

Tisha Campbell and Paula Jai Parker are so gorgeous and I've always thought they looked like sisters and here they really do.

The movie is just not funny.

There's scenes where people have like Terminator-vision is the club, and other scenes where guys look like actual dogs in human clothes but it's just silly and flat.

I still don't really get what Sprung even means or meant back in 1997.

I was around then and have the shirt to prove it.

This movie starts off hilariously . . . then tapers off into less laughs. This is unlike one of the director's other films, Fear of a Black Hat, where the humor was constant throughout the movie. Some good one liners and physical comedy but you *have* to see the police line-up scene with John Witherspoon. Truly funny!

This movie starts off hilariously . . . then tapers off into less laughs. This is unlike one of the director's other films, Fear of a Black Hat, where the humor was constant throughout the movie. Some good one liners and physical comedy but you *have* to see the police line-up scene with John Witherspoon. Truly funny!

I recently watched Sprung (1997) on Tubi. The storyline follows a pair of guy friends and a pair of girlfriends in search of their perfect match. They attend the same party but initially don't find what they're looking for until they're on their way out. One guy and one girl believe they're compatible, while the other two friends foresee a potential booty call. The booty call couple thinks their friends are getting too serious and attempt to sabotage their relationship.

Directed by and starring Rusty Cundieff (Fear of a Black Hat), the film also features Tisha Campbell (Martin), Paula Jai Parker (Hustle & Flow), John Witherspoon (Friday), Joe Torry (Tales from the Hood), and Clarence Williams III (Half Baked).

While the male main character can be annoying, overall, Sprung unfolds as a fun film to watch. The cast and soundtrack are impressive, with the acting fitting the characters perfectly. Joe Torry's performance is particularly hilarious and memorable. Several sequences feel like sketch comedy, especially the reenactment scenes, which brought a smile to my face. Though the comedic content is hit or miss, there are enough hits to keep you entertained. The storyline is a rollercoaster ride with a predictable but satisfying conclusion.

Overall, Sprung is a solid addition to the comedy genre, featuring a strong cast and enough enjoyable moments to keep you smiling. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it at least once.

Sprung can be summed up in one word, Average. There is nothing that makes this movie very bad but there is also nothing that makes it very good either. Tisha Campbell gives an above average performance as one of the few level headed character in the film but the other three leads didn't quite measure up to her. As for the plot, it's funny most of the time it tries to be. But the movie begins to drag considerably in the second half when the writers shift focus from all comedy to mostly the love story. While Sprung did have some nice innovations, they couldn't make up for the inconsistent plot and some sub-par acting.

Sprung was one of the funniest black romantic comdies releaded in 1997. While it's not good as the vastly superior Love Jones it does have a lot of charm. I remeber seeing this film after my first high school sweetheart broke up with me. The prison line up scene is very funny. Joe Torry and Paula Jai Parker steal almost every scene there in with their funny one-liners. Director Rusty Cundiff is very taltented and it's a shame he's hasn't made any films since this one.