Head of State | | Cast : | Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Lynn Whitfield | | Director : | Chris Rock | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Full Screen | | Released Date : | March 28, 2003 | | DVD Released Date : | August 23, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 17, 2005 | | Summary | a great movie...nothin' more nothin' less | Content
 | head of state is a great movie,the only reason i didn't give it 5 stars was because i always think that's pushing it.
i picked this dvd up,because i couldn't see anything else and this had 2 great comedians(chris rock and bernie mac) it turned out to be a great choise
head of state is about mays gilliam,a normal man,who gets the oppertunity to run for president. the thing he doesn't know is that he is set up to lose.this makes it a great comedy with many LOL(Laugh Out Loud) moments
this film has some of the GREATEST comedy speeches of all time and fantastic one liners
a fantastic movie! |
| Rating | | | Date | March 30, 2005 | | Summary | Brilliant Satire | Content
| I think for the most part, others who reviewed this movie completely missed the point and rated it lower than it should have been. My opening impression of the movie was along the lines of these reviewers, In fact I took some offense to what I thought would be a movie about the black guy who was completely under qualified for president who ends up the winner because he "acted black". The truth is the movie resonates on multiple planes of access. There are some who will see this movie as what I just described, a funny, silly movie with black folks "acting up", but there is a deeper truth under the silly plot, and the antics. Imagine a real life candidate with the gift to improvise an incredible and meaningful speech. Imagine a candidate that could energize the poor, the youth, and the downtrodden, restoring faith in the system for these individuals who feel left out. Think for a moment of a candidate that could respond to an opponent's spin and talking points with complete and total candor, instead of his own spin. A candidate who genuinely possessed these characteristics would be a nightmare for the opposing party, but will we ever see such an individual run? Such a non-politician would make a great politician, but in our current political climate, the leadership of both political parties is too blind and out of touch with reality and the changing face of society to run such a man or woman. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 17, 2005 | | Summary | A little too far fetched | Content
| Chris Rock is funny as a local aldrman who gets tapped to run for president when his party's candidate for both president and vice president are killed. He is put up for the purpose of losing but nobody tells him he's a stooge. In his plain talking naivitee, he begins to hit home and his campaign gather's momentum. The problem I have with this movie is that the premise is too far fetched. Obviously, good satire is somewhat far fetched. However, here, all the situations are so unreal and impossible that it becomes difficult to determine what is being spoofed. A good example of the type of comedy that is a great spoof is the classic movie Airplane. It is all a bunch of silly antics and crazy site gags. However, it is always clear what is being spoofed: diasaster movies of the Airport and Airport 1975 genre. Maybe the classic political spoof of all time is Dr. Strangelove. In that movie, the situations are surreal at times but, there is a certain grounding in political reality for the satire to attach itself too. The silliness in Head of State is, often hilarious, but it isn't connected to anything as a spoof so it loses a little of it's punch. Not only was he the star, but Chris Rock also wrote the movie. Perhaps it would have hit the mark more if Rock knew a little more about the workings of national politics so that there would have been something concrete to satirize. The movie did, occasionally, have it's moments, including a very funny spoof of negative campaigning. It's a funny movie full of silly comedy. Unfortunately, with only a few exceptions, there isn't much underlying cleverness in the silliness. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 12, 2004 | | Summary | Brilliant political satire | Content
| At the outset, let me say what I am: I am white, 61 years old, a physician, and I live in a gated community. It would be easy for people like me to dismiss "Head of State" as just another crass commercial rip-off by Hollywood. It's not that at all.
The premise underlying "Head of State" is that Americans are currently represented by a government totally out of touch with the lives of ordinary citizens. That's why this film can be so hilarious, why it strikes such a responsive chord.
"Head of State" is more than just another comedy, more than just a parody of our political process. It is brilliant political satire, studded with remarkable insights into the political process. Yes, I laughed all the way through the film. But if Mays Gilliam ever comes to real life in America, I won't be laughing at him. I'll be voting for him. And so will the country. |
| Rating | | | Date | October 23, 2004 | | Summary | Where's the soundtrack? | Content
| The movie was great--I've been a Chris Rock fan for years--but the soundtrack totally rocks! When is it going to come out on CD? Also, I'd like to find credits for the performers--I checked the IMDb and the Website for the movie, but found nothing.
I hope somebody who's somebody reads this and gets the soundtrack out soon! |
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