Ice Cube spent the last few films with kids, but is back as a gangster in “First Sunday” with sidekick Tracy Jordan. Writer / Director David E. Talbert is grounded in stage productions, but he comes up with a winner on the big screen. I thought this movie was entertaining and fun even though the underlying story is fairly out there.

Best friends, Durell (Ice Cube) and LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan), are petty criminals; however, they are not very good at their jobs. After bungling a simple delivery of stolen merchandise and Durell finding out he needs 17,000 dollars to keep his child from moving to Atlanta, the disaster duo devise an ill-conceived plan to rob a local church. Once the plan begins to unfold, the pair hits some unexpected snags and end up taking the entire church committee hostage. Durell and LeeJohn encounter each of the church characters and wrestle with staying on their evil path.

David E. Talbert does a good job blending all the personalities involved into a cohesive cast that delivers their lines in smart fashion. Katt Williams plays choir director, Rickey, whose flamboyant style and spineless personality make for some serious laughs. Rickey’s razor sharp tongue and bluntness make his personality stand-out amongst the crowd. According to David E. Talbert in an interview I conducted with him, Katt Williams, along with Tracy Jordan, did their fair share of improvising. Many of the lines stayed in the finished product which is why the lines seemed to work well at times.

Talented Loretta Devine (Sister Doris) plays a wonderful part in the movie as the forgiving figure that calms the tortured soul of LeeJohn. Michael Beach plays the all-business, Deacon, saddled with one of the non-comedic roles who ends up being funny at times anyway. Beach puts in a good performance along with Chi McBride, playing Pastor Arthur Mitchell. Regina Hall is the Pastor’s daughter, Omunique, who is practical and attractive.

Set in Baltimore, Maryland Durell and LeeJohn cause enough havoc for ten men as each tries to get their life straightened out. At the end of the day, Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan are the key figures that make this movie work. Tracy Morgan is like Jerry Lewis as the bumbling and issue filled goof. Really, no other could play this one like Tracy Morgan. He steals just about every scene he is in and really plays well opposite the talented Ice Cube. As awful as Ice Cube’s character is in this situation the redeeming factor is the love he has for his son. Durell would do anything to keep his son near him, even robbing a church.

Cast & Crew:

Genre: Comedy, Crime
Duration: 1 hr. 38 min.
Starring: Ice Cube, Regina Hall, Chi McBride, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan,
Director: David E. Talbert
Producer: David McIlvain, Julie Silverman, Tim Story
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Writer: David E. Talbert

Verdict: “First Sunday” provides some laughs and works because of the writing and the casting. Go have some fun and give this one a chance.

Related Content

• Superhero Movie - English Movie Review
• The Longshots - English Movie Review

Tags: Chi McBride, First Sunday - English Movie Review, Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Regina Hall, Tracy Morgan | Filed in Hollywood