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A slightly ironic challenge rose after I finished watching the movie …
Martin Lawrence was funny again! No, really! Mo’Nique? She finally showed cinematic potential with some kernel of acting beyond her stand up persona.
Slightly more underrated than the rest of the cast – Mike Epps – absolutely killed it with his oh so sweet yet sidesplitting comedy. And James Earl Jones? Yeah … he is James Earl Jones as usual.
To sum it up, “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” the latest film from writer-director Malcolm D. Lee (Undercover Brother, Roll Bounce) is a surprisingly funny and at times wholesome , lets not kid ourselves, makes attempts at wholesome filmmaking film that somehow manages to wrangle in it’s bunch of stand up comics into a simple story that works a lot better than one would imagine.
RJ Stevens (played by Martin Lawrence), is a Dr. Phil style massively successful Hollywood talk show host who has managed to charm Hollywood with his “Team of Me” philosophy and a new fiancée Bianca (Joy Bryant, the Hunting Party) who happens to be a Survivor winner infamous for throwing away her panties for a chocolate cake.
As RJ – or Roscoe Jenkins, like the folks back home call him – gets a call from his family inviting him to their small-town Georgia home to celebrate his parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, his wife Bianca views this trip as the perfect opportunity to boost the ratings for their show. This means RJ has to deal with a multitude of interesting characters such as his cousin Epps, his sheriff brother, and opinionated sister alongside his childhood foe Clyde who, it seems, has stolen the heart of Lucinda – RJ’s first crush.
If you enjoy Perry’s work, or can tolerate his outlandish humor, then you will surely appreciate ‘Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,’ a film that tells the story of Franklin (Jenkins’s son) and his father who claim to celebrate family values but, at times makes the audience feel repulsed by the idea of a dysfunctional family such as the Jankins.
RJ’s “Team of Me” philosophy had its origins in RJ’s youth while he was busy learning to live in Clyde’s shadow. Clyde, in this case, was raised by RJ’s parents after his own died when RJ was barely 5 years of age. One can easily see why RJ would feel inconsequential in his family. He had a hulking elder brother, a splendid father, and a larger than life sister.
Though Lawrence is able to suppress his excessive side rather well, he does not have the talent to make the shift from RJ to Roscoe seamlessly. While Lawrence does the wounded man/child very well, not unlike Steve Carell in “Dan in Real Life,” when he tries to play simply sincere, it’s far too weak for the enormous amount of promise Lee’s script gives it. This is most pronounced in the later scenes of the film with his son and in a much too easy anniversary reception.
Indianapolis native Mike Epps’ turn as RJ’s playa’ cousin is surely going to remind you of that one relative that comes to every family get together only hoping to con some money out of you or sell you another “great” deal. Epps gets so many laughs it works anyway and he is a scene stealer here with a performance that goes over-the-top more than a few times yet is vastly underrated, most likely due to poor film project choices.
Monique, on the other hand, is always overly dramatic as RJ’s thong showing, bible totting, sister who ain’t scared to whip her baby brother’s ass. Mo’nique unlike Lawrence shows her her genuine side with her amazing improv in the second half of the film.
James Earl Jones, mostly known for underwhelming supporting roles, gives great emotion as RJ’s father while Avery does what she always does and adds her motherly touch. Nicole Ari Parker gives one of the most grounded performances in the film as the love interest of RJ while his “survivor” queen is incredibly appropriately sexy and bitchy. Cedric the Entertainer does his best with a one note character but sadly fails in the aforementioned anniversary reception.
As for Lee, he sometimes resorts to the easy way out by adding humor that just goes nowhere and some of his work lacks in execution. Come on now, does modern day cinema need another candidate for the title of “skunked”?
Not really.
However, Lee shares this trait more than once which is someone else in “Roll Bounce” which featured comedy mixed with sincerity and real relationships woven into the plot.
“Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” is not brilliant, but it is stunningly fun with a lot more laughter than one expects and a terrific chemistry among the cast that makes it still great despite going on for longer than it should.
When Perry stepped out of his dress, he was not nearly as much fun as expected but under the RJ Stevens mask, Martin Lawrence is a whole different person with Big Momma behind him.
Davis Newman\’s score was both chaotic and serene at the same time . While the town is filled with southern charm, RJ’s presence truly drives home the infamous “out of place” feeling.
Good to see you again Martin Lawrence, welcome back to quality cinema.
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