Starring: Ed Lover, Doctor Dre, Cheryl "Salt" James, Jim Moody
Director: Ted Demme
Producers: Charles Stettler and Maynell Thomas
Screenplay: Dr. Dre, Ed Lover, and Seth Greenland
Music: Michael Wolff and Nic Broek
Released by New Line Cinema
Ed Lover and Doctor Dre (playing themselves) are the two worst barbers in Harlem. In fact, they're so bad that their customers clamor not to be next so they can avoid having those two go to work on their hair. Losing business because of Lover and Dre, Nick (Jim Moody), the owner of the shop, threatens to fire the pair if they don't look for new jobs. In particular, he wants them to take the NYPD exam. They relent, and, inexplicably, score high enough to be admitted to the academy. An unspecified amount of time later, they hit the streets as the two newest members of New York City's finest.
This supposed comedy lacks focus, direction, and a sense of coherence. It was obviously designed as a "star vehicle" for Doctor Dre and Ed Lover (the hosts of MTV's Yo! MTV Raps) with little concern for content. It's a low-budget, cobbled-together production that tries too hard to put out a message while not trying hard enough to be funny.
The humor, which comes in sporadic bursts throughout the film, is occasionally funny but rarely original. There are several incisive one-liners and a couple of sight gags, as well as two or three running jokes that start out fresh but become repetitive by the film's end (it's a case of going to the well once too often).
The primary reason for the movie's failure lies in its plot. Scatterbrained romps like this generally play best when they try for as lean a script as possible. Unfortunately, while Who's the Man possesses the expectedly idiotic story, it also tries to present an anti-gentrification message (a rich white developer is buying up whole blocks in Harlem, promising to "improve" the city). The production team's attempts to give this film a deeper meaning fall flat.
Who's the Man reminds me of last year's Mo' Money. In both cases, the behind-the- scenes comic talent doesn't effectively translate to the screen. If Dre and Lover intend to make another film, they might look to rappers Kid 'N Play for inspiration. Those two do the same kind of movies as Who's the Man, but with much greater success. Maybe next time, this pair will produce a film that's consistent at something rather than all over the place.
© 1993, 1996 James Berardinelli