Soul Plane Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)June 10th, 2004
SOUL PLANE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
Jessy Terrero's SOUL PLANE is an outrageous and sporadically funny takeoff on AIRPLANE! With an almost all black cast, it takes sexual, bathroom and racial humor to the extremes. It has already outraged many groups, most especially black ones, for the film's stereotypes, of which it has plenty. But viewers will be hard pressed not to find some jokes that work for them. You'd have to have earplugs to keep from laughing some, and, even then, the visuals will tickle you. After a while, SOUL PLANE overstays its welcome. It's the sort of movie for which the admonition, just wait for video, is most appropriate and isn't meant to be derogatory.
It all starts when Nashawn (Kevin Hart) is fed bad food on an airline, which gives him the runs, causing him to be in the worst place possible when the captain announces that all passengers must return to their seats immediately due to heavy turbulence. The upshot of it all is that his dog dies in flight -- don't ask, and he ends up winning a one-hundred-million dollar damages award, which he uses to start his own airline.
Nashawn's airline features lots of soul and rhythm, at least in every class except low class, where overhead bins are beaten-up metal lockers that need quarters to operate. The only beverage served in this steerage class is extra-potent malt liquor -- the kids get little bottles. Tom Arnold plays the father of a family who accidentally find themselves the only whites on board.
With a disco dance floor and other amenities, the new airline and its pimpmobile plane really try to live up to its motto: "We fly. We party. We land." But, before they take off, we watch as a plus-size, black female security guard enjoys strip-searching a buff man, who doesn't find it fun.
Snoop Dogg, in another of his scene stealing performances, plays Captain Mack, an airplane pilot on his first flight. Nashawn thought Captain Mack flew in Desert Storm. Actually, Captain Mack explains, he "drew" in Desert Storm, painting anti-Iraqi obscenities on the bombs before they were loaded on the warplanes. Draw a bead on this film when you can rent it for a few bucks.
SOUL PLANE runs 1:30. It is rated R for "strong sexual content, language and some drug use" and would be acceptable for most teenagers.
The film is playing in nationwide release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it is showing at the AMC and the Century theaters.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: [email protected]
***********************************************************************
Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email? Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
