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NBA DVDs | Home » » » The Cookout | | | | | | | Description: | | After signing a $30 million contract with the New Jersey Nets, college basketball sensation Todd decides to throw a cookout for his family and inner-city friends at his palatial new suburban home. However, Todd's plans are quickly overshadowed by the arrival of offbeat relatives, greedy groupies and an over-enthusiastic security guard. Hilarious comedy stars Storm P, Ja Rule, Tim Meadows, Danny Glover, and Queen Latifah (who also co-produced and co-wrote the story). 97 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; deleted scenes; featurettes; outtakes; theatrical trailers; more. | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Quran Pender, Jenifer Lewis, Ja Rule, Tim Meadows, Jonathan Silverman | | Director:
| Lance Rivera | | Format:
| Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| English, Spanish | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Lions Gate | | Run Time:
| 97 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| January 18, 2005 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 26 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 26 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 Weak! Weak! Weak!Jan 31, 2005
By Reggie L. Mattocks
I can't even believe that folks actually thought this was a funny movie. It had a few moments, and I mean a few, but it just wasn't enough to justify paying 19 bucks for this. The concept was a good one cuz anybody in the african american community knows what it's like when we have "our" family cookouts anuually. However, along with a great idea came miscasting. For one, how does Ja Rule, Eve, or even Quran Pender (who I've never heard of) get casted for a movie like this when it's clear they cannot act. Meagan Good went from the cute sassy girl on Eve's Bayou to now playing hoochies on a regular? Secondly, how do you cast Queen Latifah, Danny Glover of all people, Farah Fawcett, Tim Meadows, and the beautiful Jennifer Lewis and Frankie Faison, all veteran actors and actresses who's been in the game a long long time and instead of creating a script and letting them enhance the script, Lance Rivera makes them look bufoonish. Well, there you have it, Lance "um" Rivera. Lance stick to making videos and leave the big screen to real directors. They should have never entrusted a cast that i just mentined to an amatuer like Rivera. A wasted script with quality actors and actresses. Yes, it's a matter of opinion and this opinion states that this movie stinks.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
"The Cookout" is not that fulfilling.Nov 11, 2006
By Jenny J.J.I.
"A New Yorker"
This movie did not deliver. I love black comedy like the "Friday" movies (except for the last one) but this was NOTHING like Friday. In fact, it was extra lame. There were a few funny scenes but not the way you want them to be. I have to agree with most of the previous comments, here, that this movie will most likely be pretty offensive to most black viewers. It's loaded with stereotypes and predictable humor.
That aside, I did get a chuckle out of a few of the characters. Tim Meadows' conspiracy whacko character was twisted and amusing. Meadows have a talent for subtle humor with over-the-top characters. This sounds like a contradiction, but it isn't. Danny Glover gets a few laughs in as the heavily "ball & chained" neighbor. It helps that his ball in chain happens to be Farrah Fawcett, I suppose. Both Mr. Meadows and Mr. Glover's characters were somewhat stereotypical and unoriginal, but both actors made them work, because they're pros. That old man with a stick was kind of goofy. I mildly enjoy Queen Latifah though, even in a ridiculously written role she was believable and hilarious at times. She at least made it worth my time. I will say Tim Meadows was the highlight of the movie and his lines totaled approximately 5 minutes of dialogue.
I found Jennifer Lewis' character to be intensely annoying. She was supposed to come off as "strong" and as the pillar of the family, but if I had a parent like her, I'd go to huge lengths to avoid her. Just watching her in a movie made me uncomfortable. I'm surprised that Todd's prospective client didn't head for the hills, immediately. Those grotesque fat twins were annoying. The pot smoking scene with them and Mertaw was horrendous. I was disgusted with the way they looked and acted. Ja Rule was very annoying as Bling Bling and his sidekick was just as awful. The dude Big Pu//y from The Sopranos was OK as a doo doo salesman. Rapper Storm P (aka Quran Pender) as Todd Anderson who played the young, newly-drafted NBA star did a pretty decent job in his role. Eve finally play a sweet character. For a hardcore rapper who always plays tough minded characters, it was nice to see her lovable and supple but the time she spent on the screen looked more like a cameo.
"The Cookout" has more flaws then virtues, and it will certainly offend anybody concerned with improving the image of African Americans, but it does have its brief moments but I won't recommend this being that it's unrealistic and forgettable.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 One of the worst movies I've ever seen....Jul 16, 2006
By tkay
This movie was so bad that I got up and left the theatre before it was over. To call this movie boring would be an insult to boring movies. So many talented actors, so little entertainment. Please don't waste your time on this one. You'll probably come out better watching paint dry. Believe me, that would be far more entertaining.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Stereotypical, Predictable and NOT FunnyMar 01, 2006
By U2girl
This movie was full of stereotypical characters that you really don't care about. I don't think there is one original idea in this film.
Just a few stereotypes that stood out were:
- The young black guy getting drafted, as if that is all that young black guys aspire to.
- The young attractive goldigger girlfriend
- The overprotective mother and goofy father
- Once blacks move into the neighborhood all of their family come, which are always ghetto, and take over the neighborhood
- The "cool" white guy that is down with everyone.
Geez!
Now moving on to the predictability:
- From the getgo, did we not know that he would get picked?
- It was so obvious way before Eve came in the picture that the goldigger girlfriend would get dropped and that Eve would get the guy.
There was no real substance to the film, so other than those 2 points, nothing else was really going on. Farah Fawcett??? Why???
I really don't think that I laughed once the entire film. The characters that Queen Latifah and Danny Glover played were just plain embarassing. So over the top and NOT funny. I really don't like this film and probably will never watch it again.
I really like the lady that plays the mom (can't remember her name), Queen Latifah and Danny Glover, but I cannot recommend this film. Don't waste your time.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
badly stereotypedFeb 28, 2005
By J. Irps
"krazejjklown"
i typically don't write bad reviews, but this was just aweful. i didn't crack a smile the entire time i watched it. instead i just got more pissed off by the moment. i don't blame any of the actors/actresses for this because it wasn't their fault, except for maybe danny glover for accepting such a rediculous role as a white bred black guy who is scared of other black people moving into the neighborhood, but then dramatically changes into the thing he hates after smoking some weed. it was a shame that this one even got off the editting room floor. BUT if you like movies where stereotypes are running wild, this one is for you.
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