Dolemite Is My Name

Based on true events, Dolemite Is My Name is my name follows circa 1970s struggling comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) as he attempts to capitalize on his burgeoning fame by making a movie – with the film detailing the character’s ongoing efforts at overcoming a series of obstacles during the production. Filmmaker Craig Brewer does a superb job of immediately drawing the viewer into the proceedings, as Dolemite Is My Name benefits substantially from an engaging and astoundingly charismatic turn from Murphy that ranks as the actor’s most entertaining performance in years – with Murphy’s top-tier work certainly matched by the eclectic supporting cast’s uniformly stellar efforts. (It’s clear, though, that Wesley Snipes, cast as a finicky actor/director, remains the movie’s most potent scene stealer.) And although the picture admittedly does run a little longer than necessary, Dolemite Is My Name boasts an impressively engaging midsection devoted almost entirely to Moore and his ragtag crew’s ongoing efforts at making the movie – with the fairly irresistible nature of this stretch heightened by Brewer’s lighthearted, irreverent approach to Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski’s screenplay. The end result is a feel-good comedy that ultimately fares much better than most similarly-themed endeavors, with Murphy’s captivating work here merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of Dolemite Is My Name‘s many pleasures.

***1/2 out of ****