August 2002 Runteldat!

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Reviewed by Niambi Sims Runteldat! Director: David Raynr Producers: Micheal Hubbard, David Galen, Loretha Jones Distributer: Paramount/ MTV Writer: Martin Lawrence Time: 102 Minutes It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Martin Lawrence perform stand up. In the interim, he’s tickled us with his hilarious film and television characters as well as baffled us by his antics off the screen. His questionable behavior has undoubtedly caused his fans to wonder “WAZ UP” with Martin? Runteldat is Lawrence’s attempt to answer this question. It is a long and somewhat arduous journey through the portals of his mind. He has clearly matured since the days of Def Comedy Jam, yet this maturity seems to have dulled his comedic edge. He has departed from his gritty roots and replaced them with redundant quotes and watered down diatribe. His skits are lengthy and depict the more grotesque aspects of childbirth, sex and hospitalization. His punch lines take too long to deliver and often are not worth the wait. Yet, it is his physical comedy that makes this film endurable for 2 1/2hours. Despite his questionable subject matter, Martin is just plain fun to watch. He takes full advantage of this opportunity to explain his side of the bitter rumors circulating about him. He bravely bears his soul and gets personal with the audience. He discusses, in explicit detail, his recent encounters with the law and his infamous “breakdown”. There is no doubt that Martin Lawrence is funny. Yet Runteldat falls slightly short of hilarious. It is Martin’s feeble attempt at redemption shrouded in lukewarm comedy. Although he has clearly matured as a person, his comedy seems to have delved into the trite and juvenile. His attempts at being uplifting are a bit preachy. This movie could have achieved the same effect in half the time. It is hard not to respect a person who puts their personal woes on display for the sake of a laugh. Yet, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or give him a hug. Both require effort.