The Original Kings of Comedy

All four riff fast and furiously (and with much swearing) on the world in terms of race, family, sex, and in one routine, outer space. Hughley takes comedic aim at extreme sports and eating disorders, while Cedric harks back to the day when gang fights meant calling opponents out onto the dance floor. Bernie Mac, the self-confessed id comedian of the group, presents a routine that is simultaneously offensive and hilarious--an apt reminder that comedy can and should be vicious if we are ever to learn to laugh at ourselves and hopefully be the better for it. Harvey, who acts as the MC for the show, has some transcendent moments with the crowd (a '70s slow jam sing-along, anyone?) that have to be seen to be believed. There's no doubt as to why Kings was a hit with concert and movie audiences; the laughs keep coming, in the tradition of Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, with a sharp eye on the nuances of today's racially affected culture. --Shannon Gee

(1). Steve Harvey does a pretty good job of mocking the characters in the Titanic film who choose to keep playing their violins amidst a major catastrophe. He later goes into detail about why he prefers "old-school" music; particularly old-school R&B, over the hip-hop and rap trends that seem to be preferred by the modern generation. He does an effective job of lambasting rappers, and is absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious. I was practically in tears from laughing so hard at this. Needs to be seen to be believed.

(2). D.L. Hughley was hilarious too, but like some have pointed out, some of his routines came from other, earlier stand-up specials. Side note: If you can find a copy of his stand-up comedic special entitled "Going Home," pick it up. That performance I believe to be his funniest, and it leaves me rolling on the floor everytime.

(3). Cedric The Entertainer's humor was the least brash of all the four, and has more of a laid-back, subtle charm, which still manages to make you laugh. The whole break-dance scene was funny, as well as his "cruising into outer space" scene, his self-made "martial art style" scene, and others.

(4). Bernie Mac - good lord. He was without a doubt the craziest, most brash, most (messed)-up comedian in this set. Sadistic and intensely cathartic, even. It's only fitting that he would be the last performer. His routine was just a little too much for me - and still is - and I mean that in the best way possible. His takes on kids and how they get (or should get) punished, sex and orgasm, and the "stuttering" kid were just too much - not only was I laughing too hard, but my lungs began to hurt, I nearly lost my voice for a brief period, and I was nearly out of oxygen. The guy was too much! Saying that he cracked me up would be a HUGE understatement.

All in all, recommended for many who want (or need) a major laugh-fest. Sometimes, one of the best ways - if not the best way - to deal with unpleasant situations in life is to be able to laugh at them - as exemplified in this film. If you suffer from chronic asthma, heart disease, and/or are easily shocked - particularly by the things mentioned in the above paragraphs (including loads of profanity) - stay VERY far away from this - you will be digging yourself an early grave.


Simply put: THE BEST   January 21, 2001
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

As you might have read from other reviews, this is not a movie rather than a stand up comedy film. I dare anyone to watch this and not find it funny. If you don't laugh, then you don't have a sense of humor at all. The show is about the concert tour of the same title that was the 2nd highest grossing tour of the year. Steve Harvey is the MC and provides his own touches of brillance throughout the show. His ability to relate to people on all walks of life is evident from the moment he takes the stage. He warms up the crowd for each comedian but the crowd doesn't need it, since you barely regain control from laughing so hard from the last joke you heard. D.L. Hughley is great in this, although I, personally, think that his set could have been alittle better. I had just seen his last comedy special before the movie, so I was alittle jaded. Next is Cedric the Entertainer. The man is awesome. The way the he accents his jokes with phyiscal style is brillant. To top off the show is Bernie Mac. Simply put, he steals the show. I could not stop laughing when he was on. To not own this DVD is a crime. I will be the first in line to get it when it arrives. You should do the same. I hope this helps.


The 4 Kings Reign Supreme   August 30, 2000
 16 out of 18 found this review helpful

The Original Kings Of Comedy are indeed,the true kings of the comedy world. They earned the title of world heavyweight comedians for good reasons. The #1 reason however, is their performances in this movie and their overall 2 year nationwide comedy tour. I've seen many live on stage standup comedy movies before (Martin Lawerence,Richard Pryor,Eddie Murphy etc...), but this one by far is the best. This film showcases the incredible talents of Cedric "The Entertainer", D.L. Hugley, Bernie Mac, & Steve Harvey at there very best. All 4 of these comedians can do individual shows with success ,but when you put them all together its just untouchable. I can not really say one comedian was better than the other because all 4 kings performed very well. Each comedian had his own special impact on the film. The only thing that could possibly make this movie any better would be if Chris Tucker or Chris Rock was a 5th member. Nonetheless,these 4 kings are so funny, you forget there are any other comedians in the business. If you love comedy and want to watch a fun show that will make you laugh til' your stomach hurts, then I suggest you see "The Original Kings Of Comedy". I know that it is a must for me to see this film again. I will get this movie on DVD the day it is released. This movie is straight up hilarious and outragously funny. Its just a good show to watch whether you're black or white. It just can't any get better than this.


Don't miss this one by any account   February 24, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Being black and British I wasn't quite sure how good this might be. I thought that Martin was funny but probably too long.Tommy Davidson was funny but too short. Seeing this in the cinema house I found this film was long but not not long enough - if it had been any longer I'm sure I would have ended up wetting myself with the amount of side splitting humour on show here! I was especially looking forward to seeing Bernie Mac doing stand up as I'd only seen him in mostly comic roles - "Friday" and "Above the Rim" stand out in my memory. Of course, D.L Hughley was known to me from BET's Comic View and I initially thought if he's first on stage the others can't be better than him. How wrong could I be! Steve Harvey compered the show superbly setting the atmosphere (if you know your soul music you really are in for a thrill too) - each subsequent comedian displayed high quality comedic genius. Despite watching this with my homies (which always is a catalyst for having a good laugh) this show stood up on its own merits - I have never laughed so much with tears in my eyes. And it's a good thing that I had 3 or 4 seats to sprawl over. By the way, I'm known as the most serious one of my friends but even I came out of the show with my body wracked with pain! Can't wait for this DVD to be released in the UK. C'mon Amazon.co.uk get your act together please :->


The Kings Rule!!!   March 17, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

The Kings of Comedy had me laughing out loud so much that I got light headed from all the laughing. Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac are by far the funniest of the four. If you have seen DL Hughley's HBO special then you have seen most of his routine. Cedric the Entertainer must have had an off night, because he was not as funny as he was during the live the performance I saw here in Dallas.

I am waiting for them to do a part two with Damien Williams as the host. All four men have talent and the ability to engage the audience. Bernie Mac had me laughing non-stop at his routine.

The extra's in the DVD make it worth the price. They have cut scenes that are funny, and they have a music video #1 Stunner included on the DVD. They also have the Kings talking about the reason they got into comedy and how hard it was at the beginning of their careers. One of the best comedy DVD's on the market. Watching this DVD will help you to understand why the Kings of Comedy is the highest grossing Comedy tour ever.