Dolemite Is My Name

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (15)

D: Craig Brewer

Netflix / Davis Entertainment (Eddie Murphy, John Davis & John Fox)

US 🇺🇸 2019

118 mins

Comedy/Biopic

W: Scott Alexander & Larry Karazewski

DP: Eric Steelberg

Ed: Billy Fox

Mus: Scott Bomar

PD: Clay A. Griffith

Cos: Ruth E. Carter

Eddie Murphy (Rudy Ray Moore), Keegan-Michael Key (Jerry Jones), Craig Robinson (Ben Taylor), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Lady Reed), Mike Epps (Jimmy Lynch), Wesley Snipes (D’Urville Martin)

Dolemite Is My Name is Eddie Murphy’s best comedy vehicle for the best part of two decades, portraying the real life events of struggling comedian Rudy Ray Moore, who reinvented his act as the foul-mouthed character, Dolemite, who became a phenomenon during the rise of Blaxploitation cinema in the early 1970’s.

As Dolemite, Rudy Ray Moore sees a gap in the market for his character’s big screen debut, and enlists the help of Hollywood actor D’Urville Martin to direct his movie, which was beset with budgeting problems, production issues, an amateur cast and an inexperienced crew, but still went on to become a huge success for its target market.

This is easily Eddie Murphy’s best comedy performance since his heyday in the 1980’s and 90’s, but he is ever so slightly upstaged by Wesley Snipes supporting turn as alcoholic actor/director D’Urville Martin.

7/10