Bringing Down The House

[Bill Da Butcher]

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0305669/Bringing_Onesheet.jpg



Starring: Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy and Angus T. Jones

Plot: When a lonely guy (Martin) meets a woman (Latifah) on the Internet who happens to be in prison, she breaks out to be with him, and proceeds to wreak havok on his middle-class life.

Rated: PG-13 for language, sexual humor and drug material.

Bringing Down The House looks like a halarious comedy with lots of laughs. Queen Latifah looks like she will deliver tons and tons of good laughs and Steve Martin looks funny as always. When Angus T. Jones is reading those porn mags. I started to burst out laughing, "What's A Rack?" "It's a country". I will be at my theatre opening night to see this halarious piece of comedy.

[movies35]

A bit early I must say, 7 day rule. Anyways I think there is a sneak preview this saturday, and if there isn't I will be there opening night.

[Mike]

This is too early... I was thinking of posting a thread for it, but I knew it was too early so I was going to wait until tomorrow. But now one was created early, and even though it shouldn't be, will probably be allowed to stay up...

[Horror whore]

I don't really care if this thread is early or not, I'm here to tell you all to go see BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE. I saw it last weekend and it's absolutley hilarious. The best movie of 2003 so far. And for all you Queen Latifah haters, she is great in this movie and I don't know why anyone couldn't enjoy her performance here. Go see it!

8/10

[dh1989]

"Bringing Down The House" does look hilarious, and it has Eugene Levy and Steve Martin, so there is no way it won't be hilarious! As for Latifah, she's not my favorite actress, but I enjoy her sometimes, so it does not bug me she is in this.

[TheMovieMinor]

At first I wanted NOT to see it, but now Im just falling for Steve Martin's movies. I hope to someday work with the fellow.

[Strider]

I don't know, it seems to me that "Bringing Down the House" is going to be another one of those comedies that have all the funny parts in the trailer, and have nothing funny at all in the actual film.

I might give it a chance, but it'll only be for Steve Martin. However, right now, this movie's looking like a rental.

Strider

[blankpage]

Looks pretty good. But like Strider said, it could be a film with all of the laughs in the trailer. None the less, the still looks like a fun time at the theater, and I will be going to go and check it out.

[thompsoncory]

I can't wait for this movie! It looks very funny and I like Queen Latifah, especially after her fabulous performance in "Chicago." I was going to see the sneak preview but when I got there it was sold out, so I will definetely be there opening weekend.

[Horror whore]

Here is James Berardinelli's review:

Bringing Down The House ***/**** (http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/b/bringing_down.html)

[The Claw]

I've gotta agree with Strider. It looks like one of those movies where all the funny bits are in the trailer.

I like Steve Martin and Eugene Levy a whole lot. Why are they doing crap like this?

[idealdiscountdude]

I cannot wait to see Bringing Down The House. I love Latifah, Steve Martin, and Eugene Levy.....great performers!

The trailer is hilarious and I just can't wait 'til next weekend to have a great laugh....!

[Moviefreek]

Critics seem to be saying that this is one of Steve Martins best in a long time. At rotten tomatoes it has 8 fresh and only 1 rotten...not to shabby if you ask me.

[movies35]

5 more days! 9:25pm Friday night can't come to soon.

[Scarface98.9]

I'm in the minority I guess, but this doesn't look funny to me. Just from the footage of Steve Martin dressed as a rapper makes me not even crack a smile. And I'm one who thought her performance was overrated in Chicago

[XCoRyX]

steve martin is hilarious when given the right stuff,this doesnt look good at all to me,infact it looks completely lame and horrible...partly because i just cant stand queen latifah....if steve is to come back in the big time comedic films,he should pick something alot more,comedic looking,not bad in my opinion.if you ask me,this is just one of the films hes going to make,to get his face back on the map.it will make nice cash nonetheless.

[Ed]

joblo gave this movie such a low rating. but the reasons he gave where no reason not to see the movie. i mean, by the trailer i knew this was a stereotypical movie w/ stereotypical characters in stereotypical situations. in part, that's what makes it funny, and that's why i want to see it.

[max]

And I'm one who thought her performance was overrated in Chicago

Heck, the whole movie was overrated!

I'm going to trust Joblo on BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE. I got the impression the funniest scenes were already shown in the trailer, and they weren't very funny.

[El Bracamonti]

this movie looks incredibly funny. i can't wait to see it.

[BorderEevilIII]

Bringing The House Down got mixed reviews from 2 papers that I read this morning. I was going NO Matter what! BTHD well, took a LONG time to get going. The chemistry between Martin & Latifah is something already done on TV but they way they improvise somehow they indeed mesh during the course of the movie. The racial innuendo jokes are there. But for me, theres a degree of poking fun at a race for a laugh or two. There was one that I said to myself "Oh NO SHE DID'NT"











SPOILERS




















Joan Plowright sang this racist song at the dinner table that made Steve Martin & the actors that played his kids curl up...
But the best parts of BTHD was Steve dressed as a homey. He wasn't bad though. Betty White (Steve's) next door neighbor is a hoot. And Jean Smart's (sister I think?) Is A Bitch! She deserved what Latifah does to her in the ladies bathroom. And Eugene Levy getting freaky w/ Latifah! Whew Hoo!!!






















END OF SPOILERS



















It was nice to see Steve Martin being Steve Martin. Like or Dislike Queen Latifah I love her 10x's more now!

[sleekproductions]

Bringing Down the House is a stereotypical, predictable, and yet funny film. Steve Martin and Queen Latifah are great, and the supporting cast does solid work too.

[jackson13]

My mom and I (SHUT UP!) are going to see this Sunday. She and I dont do much together anymore (in fact the last movie we saw, just the two of us, was What Women Want) but we are both looking forward to seeing this. And also, Queen Latifah was on Bob and Tom (radio show) the other day and she actually said that while this is a movie where it looks like all the good stuff was in the previews, she said a lot of hilarious stuff was left out of the previews, and that everyone should go see it because its just down right hilarious. I hope shes right, because the previews look funny, I dont wanna be let down.

[idealdiscountdude]

*******MILD SPOILERS*************




Bringing Down The House has to be one of the few movies I have seen in which the entire audience was laughing hysterically throughout the whole film.

Sure, the film is predictable, lacking in substance, and offensive in parts, but Bringing Down The House does not attempt to be anything substantial or Oscar worthy. It was made to entertain, and it definetly succeeds at it.

The films strength lies in its cast. Steve Martin is hilarious. Queen Latifah has amazing screen presence, is as sexy as hell and had me in stitches. Eugene Levy was funny as hell as usual. Betty White was shockingly offensive, but pulls it off and Joan Plowright was a friggin' hoot as a Queen Elizabethesque heiress.

The chemistry between Steve Martin and Queen Latifah was fantastic to say the least. The seemingly odd pairing of the two is excellent and without their chemistry, the film would not have been half as funny or charming.

I was in hysterics while watching the film, laughing my ass off and even gasping in comedic shock at some of the crude and offensive jokes.

My favorite moments:

The first country club scene in which Charlene (Queen Latifah) and Ashley have their catfight. The scene was so over the top and zany that it was hysterical.

Eugene Levy and Queen Latifah's banter.

Steve Martin homied out in the club and dancing.

Joan Plowright getting stoned and doing a little dance on the bar while the action of the finale plays out.

Bringing Down The House is a fun time at the movies. I haven't laughed so hard at a film in a long time. Sure its not a great film, nor does it have any substance, but it doesn't aspire to be great. It aspires to entertain and it is definetly successful at it!

I give it a solid B grade.

Truly hilarious and I must stress that Queen Latifah is one sexy and talented woman.

[Puck Bond]

Bringing Down the House looks like a harmless, sweet, fun comedy and I'm looking forward to seeing it...the preview is pretty amusing. Steve Martin can still be funny and Queen Latifah looks like she's having a good time with this one after her Chicago success, and Eugene Levy should add to the fun. My expectations aren't high, but just some good laughs. I plan on seeing it next week.

[Tom Samborski]

What a great movie! Bringing Down The House is the best comedy of 2003 so far, and it may hold that title. Steve Martin is one hillarious guy, and he exactly was that in this movie. Some of the comedy did go a bit over the edge, such as Joan Plowright getting stoned, but I had a great time.

8.5/10

[Pootie]

This is one of the most mindless movies ever made. I felt like a rocket scientist because i found the ending predictable in the first 3 and a half minutes. I dont see how every time Eugene Levy (funny as he may be) says something in that steryotypical black fashion, the whole theater lets out a roar of laughter.

There was a time, not too long ago when i respected Queen Latifa, since her nice, although not academy worthy run in the nice film Chicago as the prison warden. This is a horrible step on the ladder to being a leading lady. Somebody acts racist to her. She punches/does something mean to them. And since in BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE world, EVERY white person is racist and doesnt know the civil war and the emancipation stuff is over.

Another actress i will no longer look at the same is sweetheart Betty White. Everyone's favorite Golden Girl gets the Joan Collins special, when she gets the pleasure to be cast as the bigot with very little screen time.

Now to the big kahuna. STEVE MARTIN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING. You had 2 funny parts in this movie, and just because you can dance very well and can talk like a steryotypical thug very humorously. SHAME ON YOUR *slaps his hand*. Write another romantic comedy like ROXANNE or another JERK (one of my all time faves), anything but this.

[dh1989]

Here is the current average rating for "Bringing Down The House"....

8/10

I just did those who gave ratings(I guessed ideal's B would translate to 7/10). I am seeing this tommorow and the promising word from my fellow schmoes pleases me greatly.

[idealdiscountdude]

Originally posted by dh1989
Here is the current average rating for "Bringing Down The House"....

8/10

I just did those who gave ratings(I guessed ideal's B would translate to 7/10). I am seeing this tommorow and the promising word from my fellow schmoes pleases me greatly.

Yeppers dh, a 7/10 from me is correct! :)

[movie fan #1]

hilarious, if a bit unoriginal. 8/10

[darkface]

WOW- i'm suprised to see your guys' rating to be high for this flick. No wonder it did so good at the box office ( $31,700,000 )

[Annie Hall]

Hmm, this is a hard one to rate. Although it was quite funny, endearing, and edgy in a very sweet way, it wasn't by any means original, and it certainly lacked in humor every-so-often.

Let me say, of course, that Queen Latifah was explosive and funny in this role. She imitated nearly every stereotype around, and with equal amounts of confidence and verve. A fun performance. Steve Martin was put in the role of the straight man, not very unlike his role in the far superior Father of the Bride remake, except he was less charismatic and he drifted his way through this one. I sadly report, he was not at his best. Has he lost "it"? I doubt it. But, his heart wasn't in this one.

The supporting cast, namely Eugene Levy, showed surprising amounts of, well, support to these two strong leads. Levy played his same old character, but with surprising gusto this time. What a leer :D

Jean Smart, Betty White and Joan Plowright all served their purpose, and each brought a special touch of oomph to their fairly flat characters. Smart was, well, smart and surprisingly funny. Plowright wasn't at all her usual grandmotherly self, but a cold and unpleasant woman (Enchanted April anyone?).

Overall, this movie was a very fun moviegoing experience (especially since the woman next to me kept shouting "Ooh! You go girl!") but not an especially memorable one. 6/10

[BorderEevilIII]

Joan Plowright's character does come off as a snotty bitch at first. I never saw Enchanted April but I enjoyed her performance in I Love You To Death w/ Tracey Ullman.
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0305669/CT-7120.jpg

[XCoRyX]

good god this made a shitload of money,definetly successful to me...didnt expect it to gross this much.....i was doubting if the whole damn top 5 would get up to $31 million... (okay i might have exaggerated a bit there.)

[Strider]

Bringing Down the House (2003)

I wasn't planning to check this film out in the theaters, I had decided to just wait for the video. However, I changed my mind at the last minute. Hell, the movie has Steve Martin in it, so I didn't think it would be a total waste of my time or money.

In the end, "Bringing Down the House" wasn't a waste of either time or money, it's a decent comedy, but nothing really special or new.

Let's start off with the good, Steve Martin and Queen Latifah work very well together in this film. They both deliver an equal amount of some very good laughs. And they both have the hilarous Eugene Levy to back them up with some funny lines and scenes.

"Bringing Down the House" suffers from some bland humor, and it seems like all the good laughs are few and far between each other. Also, this movie has no replay value, it's definitely not a film that I could ever enjoy again.

If you're looking for a good time and some good laughs, you'll get exactly that with "Bringing Down the House". I, for one, had a fun time watching this film. However, as I said above, this is not a film I could see myself watching more than once.

Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Grade: 6/10 or *** out of ***** stars

Strider

[blankpage]

I am off with some of my best mate's soon to go see this flick. I am in a sort of gloomy mood, so I am hoping this can make me laugh and cheer me up.

[dh1989]

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0305669/CT-14641.jpg

This is the perfect "trailer" movie, in my opinion. No, not all of the great gags were ruined in the marketing, but your enjoyment of this film relies entirely on your thoughts on the trailer. If you thought the mixing of Steve Martin, as an uptight lawyer who seems too busy for his family, and Queen Latifah, playing a poorly speaking convict who claims to be innocent, due to a case of internet love, lack of a photo examination(;)), and mistaken identity is funny?. Think that sounds like a romping good time? This is the movie for you!

Steve Martin is solid here, as usual. He is a master of physical slapstick and delivering one-liners, however corny some of them are. He seems to be having fun the most while playing ghetto dude at the "The Downtown", a night club in the hood.

Queen Latifah steals the show giving her character a very fun spirit. I believe to a comedy to truly make you burst out laughing, you need to be suprised. A lot of Latifah's biggest laughs are unexpected, and they overload you, or in other terms, make you catch a serious case of the giggles.

The rest of the cast is superb in their respective roles, especially Joan Plowright as a snobby billionaire heiress. I loved her song about "Momma, is master gonna sell me tommorow?". LOL! :) And I do not want to forget the brilliance of an underused Eugene Levy, as Martin's work friend. He got me straight tripping, boo!

The jokes are good, but some are so sterotypical and corny I rolled my eyes, but this was made up by the many hilarious, and original, ones.

Overall, this is a pretty fun comedic adventure. I'll have completely forgotten about most if it the morning, though.

6/10

[dellamorte dellamore]

This looks bad , very bad , and not in a fun way .

Martin just isn't funny anymore , and Latifah ( i refuse to call her by the other name , it's a joke ) , hasn't done anything to impress me in any of the roles she's been in . This film looks like the one with Sibad when he lies about who he is and is welcomed into a strangers home , Houseguest is the name of that film , i think .


The usual " culture clash " nonsense seems to be present . Every white character is uptight , can't dance , should loosen up , don't know how to defend themselves , and blah , blah , blah . The black lead is cool , compassionate , a gentle soul , won't take gruff from anyone , always has a witty comeback , can shake it with the best of them , and knows what's best for the white guy . The obligatory white guy dance to prove his blackness is here , and the old , uptight white people get drunk and shake their money maker also , snore . Now i don't have a problem with these goofy films , but can they please at least try something different ? Probably not , as evidenced by the box office , it made a couple of duckets , so films like these will keep on getting financed .



I thought Martin's best work in recent years was The Spanish Prisoner , but goofests are bigger draws at the box office , so that's what he'll be making for awhile .


You want comedy , check out Wasabi , it's a hidden gem from France starring Jean Reno , the dubbing alone will have you in stitches . I'll pass on this garbage .

[Narst]

It’s always such a shame when a movie comes out and all the funniest parts have already been revealed in the advertising. There’s a scene near the end in which Steve Martin is trying to fit in at a night club run by gangsters which was completely ruined by the commercials. When told that his clothes look stupid, Steve Martin responds, “Oh really? Cuz I go them from your Momma!” Having already scene Martin’s delivery of this punch line at the end of at least ten commercials really took away from the impact of the line in the film, since the effect basically depended all on the element of surprise. Having the privilege of hearing that line for the first time within the movie actually will bring down the house. I’m not sure if that’s the case with all of the other jokes though. I wonder if most of the jokes weren’t funny because I’d already heard them fifty times of if they just didn’t fit in the context of the actual movie.

Steve Martin stars as Peter Sanderson and as the narration over the trailer informed us, “Life was all work and no play for Peter Sanderson.” Over the opening credits we see Peter making a blind internet date in a legal chat room. He originally believes the woman to be a beautiful, young Caucasian only to find out that is soul mate is actually a “soul sister” named Charlene. Charlene (Queen Latifah) is a former convict who insists “she did the time, but didn’t do the crime baby” and has just made her departure from her minimum-security correctional facility and needs a place to stay. Charlene decides to go around causing havoc on every aspect of Peter’s normally docile lifestyle unless he will agree to help try to expunge her record. In a moment of frantic anxiety, Peter complies and states “Consider it expunged.” Along the way Peter learns invaluable insight into Charlene’s culture while also finding out that basically every other Caucasian, excluding his family, is an overzealous racist.

The momentary daze that had been still lingering from Chicago has completely worn off as I have come to my senses and remembered why I hate Queen Latifah. She plays her role ridiculously over-the-top and her facial expressions are especially exaggerated in her close up, reaction shots. As for Steve Martin, he is a comic genius and there is little reason to mention his performance in this stereotypical dreck other than to confirm he is at his usual best. The rest of the supporting players are given mainly just gimmicky, one-dimensional roles with little to do. Joan Plowright is a good actress and it’s dismaying to she her participating in such degrading and embarrassing material. A throwaway dinner scene featuring her breaking out into a racist song for no justifiable reason is exceptionally painful to watch.

There’s also the astonishingly unnecessary character of the kindly looking, but deeply racist old lady next door. The only real purpose she serves is to stand around and blurt out insanely racist remarks for no reason whatsoever. Admittedly, she does have one minute plot point but it is served exclusively to move the story forward and the point could have easily been met by alternative means. Moving the plot forward ever so slightly is no excuse for the rest of her screen time. The final insult is that her character never even gets her deserved, final comeuppance.

One of my overall major complaints with the film was the way it tried so relentlessly to glorify and advocate the usage of Ebonics. Unlike the advertisements, which made its approach look mocking in tone, the film itself seems to be saying that if you don’t understand and appreciate Ebonics, then you must be uptight and boring. I also didn’t care for the film’s almost exclusively hip-hop and rap based soundtrack. It’s one thing if they genuinely felt the film depended on that kind of music, but if those songs really encompassed the nature of the film, why did they tease us by playing classics like “Dancing till September” or Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” in all the trailers and TV spots.

The first 30 minutes of Bringing Down the House is basically unbearable with 70% of the dialogue being racial slurs and stereotypes. The rest of the movie does get funnier but it still never performs at the level it should be at. A perfect example is the aforementioned set piece of having Steve Martin trying to infiltrate and blend in at an underground gang-run club. Even though Warren Beatty already did this in Bulworth, the idea is still overflowing with potential. Originality issues aside; this scene is definitely showcased in the wrong film with it never earning the gigantic laughs it should have deserved. It should also be noted that the film features three of the most uncalled for fight scenes this side of Mr. Deeds. Although these ones might be a bit more damaging since it can be perceived from watching this movie that an African-American woman’s only major form of defense is by beating up people so viciously that in real life they would be left within the brink of death.

Hidden somewhere amidst this mess is a nice 10 minutes where Peter and Charlene go out to dinner which is both sweet and pleasant and therefore stands out head-and-shoulders above the rest of the emotionally shallow scenes. These short sequences featuring just Steve Martin and Queen Latifah remind us of what should have been done with this material and their talent. The only thing Bringing Down the House brought down was my thumb.

[Kim_EZ]

It's hard to make me laugh nowadays, but this movie was decent. I'd say a B- at least. Better than Two Weeks Notice. Ugh now that was terrible.

[dellamorte dellamore]

This type of comedy is insulting and outdated , but i guess there is still a market for the evil bufoonish white people films .


This film is dreadful , truly dreadful , it's a narrowminded look at different " cultures " and another not exactly thinly veiled shot at conservatives ( you know the white Republicans ) . And Martin's act is stale , the guy just isn't funny anymore , i'm wondering if he ever was . It's okay because not long from now this film will be collecting dust in the bargain bin and they won't be able to even give it away .


The one thing that annoys me the most is that the film perpetuates old stereotypes and everyone seems to be embracing them But , i guess stereotypes are comforting and soothing , it makes people feel they know where they stand , that's the real joke .

[movielover-9]

This film plays on an old and (to a certain extent) offensive formula about the "ghetto black character who turns the uptight rich white character's world upside down". It plays on many stereotypes that everyone is familiar with. In fact, it practically KNOWS it's offensive and narrowminded. But still, the movie is entertaining IMO. There were many parts in the film when I unexplainably burst out laughing (along with the entire theater). The movie is not supposed to be politically correct (and again, I think the film knows it) but a mere crowd pleaser.


Steve Martin turns in a fine performance for a leading role in a comedic film. Yes, he is starting to lose his side-splitting touch just a bit (most of his funny parts come from him sounding foolish), but he is still funny, again IMO. Queen Latifah plays her part well as the "tough black girl", but sometimes I wished that there were more spots where she showd a little more vulnerability. Eugene Levy is hilarious as ever and Jean Smart does okay as well. The rest of the supporting characters are racist, snobby white women (Betty White, Joan Plowright--except for her "stoner scene", Missi Pyle) which got pretty annoying and offensive.


The only annoying thing is that now at the end of the previews and in advertisements they always have to use the salng word "Boo" (listen closely next time and you'll hear the announcer say "Rated Pg-13, Boo!"). Now that's aggrivating. But other than that, a pretty good crowd pleaser.


7/10

[sharkstank]

Bringing Down the House 6/10 Surprising,But Offensive,Comedy
I was not expecting very much from this movie outside of the obvious attempts at comedy from the stereotypes of the races in it.I got what I was expecting,but the delivery of the tastelessness was funny.One liners and small touches by Martin helped with little chuckles and a couple of loud laughs.Peter Sanderson(Steve Martin)is a divorcee who is too busy with his lawyer duties than spending time with his two children.When he begins talking to a fellow lawyer in a chatroom,whom he believes is a pretty middle aged blonde,they make a date to meet each other.When Charlene(Queen Latifah)shows up wanting Peter to take her case since she says she is innocent,his life is turned upside down.The movie is filled to the brim with stereotypes,racist cgaracters,and over the top dialogue,but it usually pays off in a witty way.The sub plots do work here,although they are brought to the forefront and are a little over exposed.Eugene Levy is Martin's friend who takes a shine towards Charlene and also helps out.One flaw is the movie does not give us the ending we want to see.We want to see Charlene and Peter hook up,and it appears like that may happen,but it does not.The over the top jokes are either hit(Martin's club scene)or miss(bathroom catfight).It seems as if every black character is stupid and every white character is racist.Martin,Latifah and Levy are funny in their roles and the leads have good chemistry together.The script and story are just there to set up a joke by Martin or Latifah.I came in with low expectations and walked out pleasantly surprised,although this is not a gut buster.

[Dirkimus]

I saw this flick last night, i found it surprisingly funny. I think the part i liked most about it is the fact that i know rich people who look down on minorities, just like the neighbor in the movie. I also grew up in gangsta land so i know all the 'homboy lingo' i liked it, but im not going to rush to buy it....6/10

[Puck Bond]

Bringing Down the House is a so-so uneven comedy that has a fairly fun premise, but is not always funny and is full of racial cliches and stereotypes. Going into this film I wasn't expecting a whole lot except maybe a few laughs and Steve Martin and Queen Latifah having a bit of fun. That is pretty much what I got but ultimately it didn't quite work. Steve Martin plays Peter Sanderson a smooth hard working lawyer recently divorced by his wife and only left with his work and occasionally looking after his kids for the weekend. Looking for love he chats online with "lawyer girl", who he thinks is a good looking blonde attorney. When he sets up a romantic dinner meeting, who does he find at his door but Charlene played by Queen Latifah, a saucy fast talking ex-con who needs a place to crash and needs a lawyer to help her with her case, where she has been wrongly accused in a jewel heist. Of course Sanderson's life gets turned upside down as the upper-class white suburbanite clashes with the fast-talking black street hustler. This is a major problem because Sanderson is trying to land a big account with a wealthy old lady Mrs. Arness played by Joan Plowright. Sanderon's friend Howie Rosenthal played by the always fun Eugene Levy takes a "freaky" liking to Charlene as do Peter's two young kids. The movie is basically Charlene helping Peter trying to get his wife back while Peter works on Charlene's case and trys to clear her name. As I said most of the jokes are not very funny and we have seen most of them before. Some work and some don't but Martin and Latifah seem to be having loads of fun together and we can see that. This movie also might be quite offensive to some, with its numerous racial cliches and stereotypes and flat out racist characters like Sanderson's neighbor played by Betty White, and his bitchy, snyed sister in law. The fight beween her and Queen Latifah at the country club is quite fun though...and I did enjoy Joan Plowright getting wasted at a down-town African-American nightclub. Overall, Bringing Down the House is a so-so comedy about a woman from a different part of town livening up the dreary workaday life of a white lawyer. Most of the jokes don't work and the racist tone is off-putting, but Steve Martin and Queen Latifah are ok and seem to be enjoying it.

[Kim_EZ]

This movie made me realize how uncomfortable some people are with ebonics and stuff.

It's just culture, not an alien race.

[DevilMonkey]

This movie is making alot of money well i don't know why alot of people didn't like it I never laughed so hard at a racist joke before (Is master going to sell me tommarow?)but not steve martin's best very enjoyable 8/10

[BorderEevilIII]

Achieving its 3rd week at #1, BDTH MUST be doing something good. My roomate went and saw it & laughed his ass off! He's VERY picky on movies nowdays & he commented as we were leaving that he enjoyed the film. ANd asked q's about Queen Latifah. "Did'nt She have a sitcom on TV?" A. yes "Living Single" "How Old is She?"
A. "I guess in her 30's?" (Shes 33,one year younger than me,I looked it up when I got home)
"Did'nt She Have Her Own Talk Show?" A. "Not That I Know Of Off Hand...." (She did Have one back in '99 but only lasted less than a year)

[Jay Fingers]

Originally posted by sleekproductions
What we have here is a stereotypical, predictable, and unoriginal film, that through all of this it still manages to be incredibly funny, cute, and entertaining ... I really liked how they seem to have made fun of racism
My thoughts exactly.

I kinda figured the "offensive" humor I'd seen in the trailers were meant to expose how absurd the characters and their prejudices were. I had to defend this movie from some folks at another forum, letting them know that the film is more than Steve gettin' jiggy with it and Latifah acting like some coon-ass minstrel.

And on a side note, no the sista was not overrated in Chicago. Haha, world domination, baby!

[The Other]

Bringing Down the House (2003) - 4/10

Oh man. This movie is just one big fat stereotype! There are just stereotypes galore in this flick, both white and black. God, why do white people have to be seen as uptight workaholics who ignore their families and make for a good laugh when they try to act "ghetto"? Why was it that every white person in the flick treated Queen Latifah's character as if she were a 50s black maid or a slave and referred to her as a "negro"? Especially since the flick looks like it was set in a big open-minded/liberal city like LA or NY and not some close-minded/hick southern/midwestern town. Ugh! Jason Filardi (the writer) should be shot.

I can't believe Queen Latifah executive produced it. I cringed at some of the "borderline-racist" jokes said to or about Latifah's character and the fact she actually allowed it.

But, it was semi-entertaining and I laughed a few times (the scene from the trailer where Martin's character wakes Latifah's character and she's like "Who dat?" as she hits him still made me chuckle). But not enough to overcome the bad.

Unfortunately what Martin said while hosting the Oscars about Latifah (Martin: "She's what I call, 'sequel money'.") is inevitable, I'm sure. In 2004/5, bet on "Bringing Down the House 2".

[Mike]

Bringing Down The House - 7/10 (B)

Funny and entertaining! It's also very stereotypical though. Betty White wasn't as funny as I thought she'd be, but she was funny. I just expected more from this funny woman. Queen Latifah rocked the house!

[movies35]

Originally posted by Mike
Bringing Down The House - 7/10 (B)

Funny and entertaining! It's also very stereotypical though. Betty White wasn't as funny as I thought she'd be, but she was funny. I just expected more from this funny woman. Queen Latifah rocked the house!

I loved Betty White in the movie! And I loved the old woman who got stoned at the end. Queen Latifah was awesome in it, and so was Steve Martin. I can't wait for the DVD!

[Mike]

Originally posted by movies35
I loved Betty White in the movie! And I loved the old woman who got stoned at the end. Queen Latifah was awesome in it, and so was Steve Martin. I can't wait for the DVD!

Yeah, the old woman who got stoned was funny. The song that she was singing at dinner had me cracking up, which is mainly because it was just so damn offensive and "out there" that I couldn't help but scream in my head "OH NO." It was funny, but in a shocking way. I just couldn't believe someone could be so rude and actually sing that in front of Latifah's character.

[movies35]

Originally posted by Mike
Yeah, the old woman who got stoned was funny. The song that she was singing at dinner had me cracking up, which is mainly because it was just so damn offensive and "out there" that I couldn't help but scream in my head "OH NO." It was funny, but in a shocking way. I just couldn't believe someone could be so rude and actually sing that in front of Latifah's character.

I know! Even though it was really offensive, it is still really funny!

[Mike]

Originally posted by Jay Fingers

I kinda figured the "offensive" humor I'd seen in the trailers were meant to expose how absurd the characters and their prejudices were.

I agree! I think that's what it was trying to do...

[Cheetara]

I saw the movie and thought it was entertaining. I've seen much worse so I am not going to sit here and get my bloomers in a bunch over it.

I think it definitely has sequel appeal...but how many times can they drag on the storyline??? Lethal Weapon was cool years ago until they ruined it with senseless sequels!!!!!!!!:mad:

I like the fact that Queen Latifah is showing the world just how versatile she can be. A talk show host, an actress, a rapper, a singer, commercial spokesmodel, etc...