Search - Homeboy (1999) on DVD

Slow moving, yet has its moments of comic genius

Gary Young | Tucson, AZ USA | 05/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""The Homeboy" has the potential to be a cult classic. When I first saw the cover, I thought it was a ripoff of "Malibu's Most Wanted" This, thankfully, is not the case. "The Homeboy" was lensed a couple of years before, and is quite a bit different.
The plot involves a white rap artist named MC Square who had a huge hit with his debut album 3 years earlier. Unfortunately, he has been unable to match that success and his career is in jeopardy, particularly after a TV interview makes him come off as a racist.
Enter the sink repairman, who happens to be a former rapper(and one of Square's biggest influences) Hoolie Hooligan. Square sees the opportunity to kickstart his career by luring Hoolie out of retirement and recording with him. Too bad for Square, Hoolie turns out to be incredibly difficult to work with.
"The Homeboy" gets off to a slow start, but once it gets rolling it's laugh out loud funny. The only thing that's going to prevent "The Homeboy" from being a top notch comedy is that the laughs are too uneven. When its funny, it's hilarious. But when it focuses too much on the plot, the pace drags and the laughs slow down big time.
I'd recommend this film to people who like unconventional comedies and don't mind a low budget(in the commentary, I think the director said this cost only about $55,000 to make). While not consistant with its laughs, "The Homeboy" has enough moments of comic brilliance to satisfy even the most jaded of film cultists."