Review of Head of State (2003) by Robert I — 20 Nov 2012

The sloppily shot, crudely edited Head of State fails as satire, for starters, because of its utter disconnect from any kind of reality. The movie opens with a statement that Hillary Clinton, Bob Dole and Al Sharpton are not in the movie. Also not in the movie: laughs. There's only the faintest glimmer of Rock's talent for piercingly funny humor here, a shortcoming for which the comic can only blame himself, given that he also produced and directed the movie. The very confusion that has made him (Rock) so unpredictable and funny onstage makes this on-screen exploration of contemporary racial mythologies curiously tentative and unfocused. The difference between Head of State and a good comedy is like the difference between Chris Rock and a real actor. Satire's funniest when it's true, but Rock exaggerates and mistimes too many jokes. Though the comedy falls short of a debacle -- which is what such egocentric projects tend to be -- it isn't as sharp, fast or funny as Rock's stand-up routines.

VERDICT: "Not So Hot" - [Negative Reaction] These films are truly terrible films. They are not the worst things ever made, but they are definitely awful and should not be seen by anyone. (Films that are rated 1.5 or 2 stars).