I’ve never been a big fan of Chris Rock, but, I have seen some of his stand-up shows and have found them to be funny. Top Five is his latest project and it’s an interesting way of getting to a single point – your top five rap groups of all time. Chris Rock does it by way of creating a movie star comedian going through a life crisis…

Story: There is nothing special about this story or the writing or the characters. The most interesting thing about this movie is that it forces every viewer to consider: Who are your top five rap groups of all time? Even if you don’t like rap, I would venture a guess that you will consider your top five as well.

He does manage to cover all of the requisite topics however – Alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual deviance, reality-celebrity. None are a surprise or very compelling…

But, kudos to Chris Rock for engagement. I’m not sure it needs to be a whole movie, but, it is. Kudos for convincing someone to make it.

Performances: The comedy in this film is okay, but, the disconnect from the story drowns it. There are a lot of cameos, but, not a lot of good characters. I’m a fan of Rosario Dawson and also Cedric the Entertainer, but, not in this film. Cedric’s character represents a very specific type, which, was mildly funny, but, not enough. Gabrielle Union as the reality star fiance and Kevin Hart as the irreverent agent are also interesting additions, but…

And though Rosario Dawson has a lot of screen time and plays a significant role in the movie, ironically, my take away from her character is… HER TOP FIVE!

Visual: This film looks like New York City. The real New York City. Not the one you see on Friends. There is a scene where Chris Rock’s character goes back to the neighborhood where he grew up and visits with some of his friends and family. That scene looks and sounds real. Everyone in NYC is not rich and living in huge, beautiful apartments. We get to see that.

Rating: Top Five gets a D+. I can’t fail it because it is called Top Five and the thing I most appreciate about it is everyone’s TOP FIVE!

But, while I like the idea of soliciting a top five from the people you encounter as you go through your day, I don’t think it needs to be hidden in a movie about an insecure comedian trying to confirm his being. There is no connection between rap and what his character is going through.

This movie was written and directed by Chris Rock… If his point is for viewers to take away a top five or create their top five, congratulation, but, I doubt that is his point. Story development is clearly not one of his skills. He should stick to writing jokes.
I would have written this differently so that the story hinged on the top five. That’s a good hook. I’m sure Chris Rock will ask me to write his next movie… This movie should have gone directly to video…