I''ll admit it. I was happy when "Dave Chappelle''s Block Party" didn''t do so well at theaters. Why? Because for every unsuccessful
movie like this, it means that ten more movies like it are never going to be made. No, I''m not racist, I like comedy and I even like Dave Chappelle, but there are certain movies - especially documentary-esque films about comedians or musicians on tour - that just shouldn''t waste a big screen. Movies like this could easily go straight to DVD and be just as good, if not better.
All that said, I didn''t know what to expect as I popped in the DVD. I had heard absolutely rave reviews from all critics, but I generally am not a fan of stand-up comedy movies (okay, so here''s the white boy in me - I really, really liked "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour" or whatever it''s called), and not just for the reasons expressed above. I love stand up comedy live, but when watching on TV I lose interest quickly.
Surprisingly, "Block Party" is not a stand-up comedy routine. Sure, Chappelle jokes around at times, but he''s only the host and has a relatively small role compared to the variety of major singers and rappers that perform. The movie is more for entertainment than for comedy, and people from Kanye West to Mos Def to a high school marching band perform. Honestly, I don''t like rap music very much, and I don''t like hip-hop, but the music in "Block Party" is, I''ll admit, pretty good and pretty entertaining. I only recognized half of the singers (yes, I''m a twenty-something guy, so sue me!) but found them to be quite good, even if it isn''t the kind of music I''d normally listen to. Kanye West is especially good, but that comes to no surprise.