Eddie Murphy portrays real-life legend Rudy Ray Moore, a comedy and rap pioneer who proved naysayers wrong when his hilarious, obscene, kung-fu fighting alter ego, Dolemite, became a 1970s Blaxploitation phenomenon.
Dolemite was before my generation but I remember hearing many of his jokes at neighborhood cookouts and block parties, but I never really knew who he was or how he became such an iconic figure in the black community. As I watched this film, I was not only entertained but left with an understanding of how he became a larger-than-life character that influenced so many people not just in stand-up but movies and music even today. This film takes you back to the beginning before Rudy Ray Moore created this on-stage persona of a man who could talk in the most disrespectful vulgar manner and still make people laugh.
Rudy (Eddie Murphy) has high hopes to make it big as a stand-up comedian just to become assistant manager at a record shop and an MC in a night club. Trying to self-promote his work to radio stations never pans out but when a homeless man named Rico (Tommie Earl Jenkins) enters the record shop one day, reciting funny stories that get attention, Rudy gets the inspiration to create a stand-up act based on Rico’s material. Rudy tracks down Rico and a few other homeless guys in an alley one night and pays them to tell him stories. The conversations are raw, vulgar, full of sex and profanity but really funny and as Rudy records them, he begins to recite them until they became his own, eventually taking on the jokes from Rico he creates the character Dolemite.
Dressed in pimp-style clothing, an afro wig, and a cane, his stand-up acts are unique, setting him apart from those like Redd Fox. After putting on his first act as Dolemite, which contains a mixture of storytelling with African beats, he begins touring, attracting a large fan base who spread the word about his comedy. At the end of one of his sets, he notices a woman who has a big personality and invites her to join him in his acts, he calls her Lady Reed (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Shortly thereafter, while at a movie theater with friends, he realizes that in order to become recognized nationally, he needs to be on the big screen. Having no experience with acting or the technical side of making a film, he, along with the help of his friends Ben (Craig Robinson), Jimmy (Mike Epps), and Theodore (Tituss Burgess), create a team lead by big-time Actor D’Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes) who he hires to direct and Jerry Jones (Keegan-Michael Key) as the writer, putting together his very first movie which eventually gains success in the blaxploitation genre.
I love this film, it’s genuinely funny, the cast is amazing and can we just take a moment to appreciate the fabulous wardrobe and soundtrack, both of which I want to own! Definitely put this on your list of must-see films.
Now playing in theaters and streaming globally on Netflix Friday, October 25th
