Down to Earth | | Cast : | Chris Rock | | Director : | Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz | | Studio : | Paramount Studio | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | February 16, 2001 | | DVD Released Date : | July 10, 2001 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | November 02, 2004 | | Summary | Very few new things in this film | Content
 | It's clear this is the n-th version of "Heaven Can Wait". As a remake, not many new things could arise in this film.
There are some new things, of course. Some of them are quite reasonably different: the story in this case is about a black man living in the Bronx; the return to Earth is due to the chase of a girl and so this is sort of a (then again) romantic comedy.
But some other things make me feel really dazzed. Heaven is... Las Vegas? Gatekeepers seem to be... like gangsters? And the highest expectation of the main character is... to be a great comedy club man? (and of course not to be booed every time he is acting).
The romantic moments are given by Chase Rock, but the great comedy moments are for Chazz Palmintieri. At least, his appearance makes this film not to deserve a lower rating.
You can have a good afetrnoon at home with this film, but don't expect so much of it. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 14, 2004 | | Summary | NICE TRY...BUT NO CIGAR... | Content
| This is a disappointing remake of a remake. Chris Rock is an extremely funny guy, except in this movie. He has a pallid script with which to work that does not let his humour shine through, except for infrequent glimpses. He is unable to carry this torpid film. Though he tries, he is hampered by the lack of chemistry between him and his female co-star, in addition to a bad script. It is just doesn't work overall, though not for lack of trying. Chris is a funny guy, but when it comes to films, he has yet to prove that he can carry one
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| Rating | | | Date | August 04, 2004 | | Summary | A takeoff on Heaven can Wait | Content
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Director: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Format: Color
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Video Release Date: December 4, 2001
Cast:
Chris Rock ... Lance Barton/Charles Wellington, III/Joe Guy
Regina King ... Sontee Jenkins
Chazz Palminteri ... King
Eugene Levy ... Keyes
Frankie Faison ... Whitney Daniels
Mark Addy ... Cisco
Greg Germann ... Sklar
Jennifer Coolidge ... Mrs. Wellington
Wanda Sykes ... Wanda
John Cho ... Phil Quon
Mario Joyner ... Apollo M.C.
Bryetta Calloway ... Gospel Singer
Martha Chaves ... Rosa
Brian Rhodes ... Charles Wellington, III
Herb Lovelle ... Trashman
Kedar Brown ... Heckler
Adam Dannheiser ... Doorman
Malcolm Devine ... Singer
Collette Wilson ... Singer
Maiesha McQueen ... Singer
Robin Montague ... Woman in Balcony
Hollie Harper ... Woman in Balcony
Scott Wickware ... Bouncer
Jack Newman ... Bob Krantz (the Middle-Aged Guy)
William Lynn ... Elderly Man
Leah Miller ... Tina Lovette (the Party Girl)
David Huband ... Maitre'd - Serge
Woodrow W. Asai ... Asian Man
Laz Alonso ... BET Announcer
Dennis Pressey ... M.C. at Comedy Shock
Arnold Pinnock ... Joe Guy
David M. Rodriguez ... Flower Delivery Man
Linda Maurel-Sithole ... Protester
Gwen Stewart ... Protester
Chris Ausnit ... Protester
Mary Burton ... Reporter outside Hospital
Jernard Burks ... Man in Wheelchair
Clem Moorman ... Patient
Hollis Granville ... Sick Person
Mung-Ling Tsui ... Reporter inside Hospital
Paulette Sinclair ... Blanche
Ali LeRoi ... Crazy Hostile Dreadlock Guy
Reginald Footman ... Dreadlock's Buddy
Michael Port ... Mugger
Colin Fox ... Director
Paul Hecht ... Director
Jack Jessop ... Director
Kenny Robinson ... Club M.C.
Mary Kate Law ... Fur Protester
Roger Kugler ... Hit Man
Roma Torre ... Herself
Harlin Kearsley ... Mike Green
Dan Duran ... Reporter
Jimmy DellaValle ... Hot Dog Vendor
Justin Peroff
Mandy Lee Jones ... Teenager in Heaven
The plot is exactly the same as the old movie, Heaven Can Wait, starring Warren Beatty, and first released as Here Comes Mr. Jordan. The latter two films, however, were played rather straight, without the humor in Down to Earth. There are differendes, too. Instead of a death-defying wish to be a quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, like Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) in Heaven Can Wait, His counterpart in Down to Earth, Lance Barton (Chris Rock) is a black comedian who wants to play in the old Apollo theater before it is closed.
Like Pendleton, he is temporarily issued the body of a millionaire, or perhaps a billionaire, until another more suited to his talents can be found.
This movie has some hillarious ramifications, and is truly entertaining. Like Joe Pendelton, Lance falls in love in his temporary body, which presents a problem since he is not allowed to keep that identity, but must 'move on' when a more permanent body is found for him.
This movie is filled with comedy, when his aged white host acts like a hip black comedian. Unlike some other reviewers, I thought it a wonderful, diverting film.
Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books
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| Rating | | | Date | March 09, 2004 | | Summary | Super Romantic Comedy & Minor Flaws | Content
| Down to Earth surprised me because I assumed I was getting ready to watch another ignorant black movie and I wasn't in the mood. I was glad to see my first impression was wrong. Down to Earth is a wonderful romantic comedy. Chris Rock does what he does best, keep it funny. He has chemistry with all the characters including Eugene Levy, Chazz Pa(? ) and Regina King. Lance ( Rock ) is a struggling comedian finally winning his chance to become something great. His life is ended when he's confronted by a lovely vision ( Regina King )while riding his bike. Little does Lance know his number is up and Keys ( Eugene Levy ) is the messenger that takes him up to heaven. Lance is given the option of returning back to earth as a rich white man. The fault with this is that when Lance becomes Charles Wellington, he doesn't KNOW anything about Charles. But shouldn't he know everything if he has BECOME Charles? I guess the filmmakers didn't see the slip-up. Once Lance claimed the body he would have automatically become the dead guy. So why was it he didn't know anything about...himself? Anyway, Charles is a " bastard " to hear Sontee Jenkins tell it. Sontee ( Regina King ) has stolen Lance's heart and the only way he can woo her is through Charles' body. That's when the fun really begins. As predicted, Lance slowly charms Sontee until she falls for him. He also ends up with a shot at playing the Apollo. Everything is where it should be and his life has never been better, except that ( it isn't his life is it?). By the time Lance gets in the true groove of being Charles, the angels find another body. Lance tries to allude them so he can keep Sontee and his newfound good fortune but it all comes to an end. But as all romantic comedies go, Lance ends up getting the girl in an entirely different form. This was predictable at times. It's a remake of Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty. We KNEW Lance would get the girl. We KNEW his dreams would come true. The major faults were stereotypical jokes and behavior against blacks. It wasn't a big deal in this particular film, but it was there and it wasn't needed. This film relies heavily on the differences between the black and white cultures. It does move the film along, but it gets tiresome after the fourth " see-how-we're-different " joke.
The actors give convincing performances. Rock is not my first choice for a romantic lead, but he IS the funniest man in America and he was the hottest comedian in 2001. There is no question why Rock was awarded this film deal. Regina King puts in another great performance. Down to Earth is entertaining but would have been even better with a stronger male lead. But make no mistake, I love Chris Rock. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 23, 2003 | | Summary | someone kill me now | Content
| dreadful comedy about Chris Rock(Pootie Tang, Lethal Weapon 4) who is a dreadful comedian and he dies and goes to heaven where he meets the gatekeepers, Eugene Levy(American Pie Trilogy, Bringing Down The House) and Chazz Palmenteri(The Usual Suspects, Mulholland Falls) and Palmenteri puts rock into a dead billionares body, where he meets the guys butler, Mark Addy(A Knight's Tale, The Order), his maid, Wanda Skykes(Wanda At Large), a mad woman, Regina Hall or King, one of the 2 and people who killed the guy, Greg Germaan(Tv's Ally McBeal) and Jennifer Coolidge(both Legally Blondes and all 3 American Pie movies). starts off ok but then bellys into a swirl of stupid acting, dreadful comedy and mindnumbing music, leaves you with wanting to kill Rock because he made this movie, kill him and the director. its just blehhh, one of the worst movies of 2001. Greg Cho also stars |
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