Foolish

Directed by Dave Meyers and out of rapper/entrepreneur Master P's No Limit empire, Foolish proffers its title character, stand-up comic Foolish Waise (played by stand-up comic Eddie Griffin), as a troubled, hilarious genius. So when Foolish tries to exorcise his demons (including alcohol and a failed Army stint) on stage, we're asked to believe we're watching the next Richard Pryor or Redd Foxx. Foolish is even told by Foxx's ghost that he has "that blue glow" that surrounds all the greats. But though much of the film is dedicated to Waise's (Griffin's?) stand-up routines, this alleged genius is nowhere in evidence. Instead, we're treated to a mess of homophobic, misogynistic, pussy-obsessed, cliché-ridden, cheap Pryor imitations. Foolish's suffering is further undermined by a dumb gangster subplot involving his brother Fifty (played by Master P -- not a good actor, but if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it) and Andrew Dice Clay. Marla Gibbs, perhaps needing to pay the bills at 227, turns up as Foolish's grandmother.

-- Mark Bazer