|
|
The Movie:
A few days after watching "The Original Kings Of Comedy", I decided to watch the other side - "The Original Queens", including Mo'Nique Imes, Sommore, Adele Givens, and Laura Hayes. Although the women can be just as raunchy as the men, I actually liked some of what they had to say more than the "Original Kings". Under a lot of the four-letter words (and I do mean a lot - these women can really string together a line of curse words), these women are occasionally preaching to the women in the audience to be proud of yourselves and accept yourself as an individual.
Yes, there's other topics discussed - the women talk about sex, what's wrong with men and life in general. Some of the jokes go overboard and aren't that funny, but I have to say I got a few big laughs out of the performances, especially Adele Givens, whose previous experience was on the "Tracey Ullman Show".
And like the "Original Kings", the "Original Queens" show takes the viewer behind-the-scenes as the Queens head out together to the streets of Memphis. The only difference between the shows is that there's not quite as much show here. Where the "Original Kings" was nearly 2 hours, the "Original Queens" is only a little bit over an hour. It's not quite as good overall as the "Original Kings" film was, but still there's quite a few bright spots.
The DVD
VIDEO: Unfortunately, unlike the "Original Kings", the "Original Queens" do not get a widescreen presentation, only a full-frame one. Sharpness and detail are still both very good, although some scenes occasionally do tend to look a little bit on the soft side.
There are a few little flaws that pop up throughout. Some very minor shimmering and pixelation are visible on occasion, but these were pretty minor concerns. Colors are pretty strong, as the vibrant-looking stage set looks particularly bold. Overall, not a bad presentation for a full-frame edition.
SOUND: Like "The Original Kings", "Original Queens" is also presented in Dolby Digital 5.0. It doesn't have quite the open feeling that the "Kings" presentation had, as that was a stadium and this is more of a concert hall. Still, surrounds come alive nicely with crowd noise and dialogue from the performers sounds natural and easily understood.
MENUS:: Although the menus aren't animated, they are at least nicely done, with the women in front of a picture of the theater.
EXTRAS: Like the "Kings", the "Queens" offer some deleted footage - about 10 minutes in all, as well as a soundtrack promo.
Final Thoughts:
Positive: Although it's unfortunate that its full-frame, the picture is still definitely watchable, and sound quality is fine. The deleted scenes are also a nice bonus.
Negative: Like the "Kings", the "Queens" film has some high points and bits that sometimes don't work as well, but it's still worth a rent if you're looking for some raunchy humor.
Film Grade
The Film ** 1/2
DVD Grades
Video 83/B = (332/400 possible points)
Audio: 86/B = (344/400 possible points)
Extras: 70/C- = (210/300 possible points)
Menus: 73/C = (146/200 possible points)
Value: 82/B = (246/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1278/1600
DVD GRADE:B-/80%
FILM GRADE: ** 1/2
DVD GRADE: B
|