Down to Earth (DVD)

What I am reviewing is the DVD film "Down to Earth" 16:9 widescreen Dolby digital sound English and French languages This is the American region 1 DVD but is almost identical to the region 2 disk. I remember watching the 1978 film "Heaven can wait" and thought that was a good idea from a film having been remade from quite a few years ago and had a good storyline to it. When I found out there was another remake I wasn't so sure that it would be as good. This remake was starring Chris Rock and was going to be based around a comedy performer. Paramount had given the film the go ahead ...  Read the complete review

This film is loosely based on the 1978 film 'Heaven Can Wait' starring the heart throb of the day Warren Beatty, so you find a lot of the events in this film very familiar if you have seen the aforementioned film. Chris Rock plays Lance Barton, a struggling comic, whose act is just not funny, and all he dreams of doing is appeating on the stage at the legendary Apollo theatre, and not being booed off stage by the critical audience, which is what normally happens to him. After his latest failure, he hears that The Apollo is being closed down, and the final night is going to be the place to showcase your talent, and he sets his sights on getting one of the ...  Read the complete review

Chris Rock is the funniest black actor since Eddie Murphy. Remember his hip angel in Dogma and mean contract killer in Nurse Betty? Now, he does his own thing, with a little help from Warren Beatty and the writing crew from Emmy-award-winning The Chris Rock Show on TV. For brothers Chris and Paul Weitz this is their first directorial feature since American Pie. Everything is in place for a stylish, comic treat. It doesn't happen. The concept, based on Beatty's Heaven Can Wait from 1978, is as soggy as it ever was. Lance Barton (Rock) is a bicycle messenger in Harlem, whose dream is to play The Apollo as a stand-up comic. He may be a ...  Read the complete review

Comedian Chris Rock carries this film on his back, with a stream of gags that will have you falling about. ‘Down to Earth’ is a good fun film that is worth watching if you are looking for an antidote to a Blockbuster. If you’ve seen the 1978 film ‘Heaven Can Wait’ starring Warren Beattie and Julie Christie you will recognise much of this film. Billed as a re-make, it is probably one of the closest re-makes I’ve ever seen. Whereas Beattie was a Gridiron football star who was ‘taken too early’ and has to be returned to the living in another’s body – in this version Chris Rock is a black wannabe ...  Read the complete review

This film is a remake of the Warren Beatty classic 'Heaven can wait' and is not a bad effort really. The story goes that Mr. Beatty always wanted the main character to be black in the original film and approached comedian/actor Chris Rock to take on the part in the update, I suspect Chris Rock isn't entirely happy with the results. Chris Rock delivers a good performance as Lance Barton a stuggling black comedian trying to breakthrough and become famous, unfortunately he keeps getting booed off stage. Next thing you know he is knocked down by a truck and killed- luckily those heavenly angels realise its not his time to go (oops) and deliver him back into ...  Read the complete review