Ice Cube does Rockford

>> It’s all about buffoonery in All About the Benjamins

by JOANNE LATIMER

All About the Benjamins wins the Academy Award for Wishful Thinking with this quote from the film’s director, Kevin Bray, in the press kit: “I think people will want to see it over and over again and learn every line and every joke.”
No, Mr. Bray, they won’t. People won’t see it twice and, um, what jokes? Sadly, I saw it once and rue the day it hits the video store. For such a formidable actor/producer, Ice Cube bet on the wrong project with this stinkbone. It borrows its premise from 48 Hours, working the best-of-enemies angle between a petty criminal and a hardened lawman. The Benjamins, however, feels like a blaxploitation version of The Rockford Files.

It’s a shame, considering how the director gets everyone’s hopes up with fabulous opening credits. The first two minutes of the film are also great—like something out of Monster’s Ball—with Ice Cube slowly emerging from an abandoned car to catch a redneck fugitive.
It’s downhill from there, as the film becomes a cartoon of car chases and backtalk from hostages. There’s even a Bugs Bunny episode in the background to announce the film’s out-sized intentions. If only the Benjamins had some of Bugs’ edge!

Ice Cube plays a maverick bounty hunter with ambitions to open a private investigation firm. While routinely chasing a small-time crook, our bounty hunter and his prey, Reggie (Mike Epps from the Friday series), end up in the middle of a soured diamond heist worth $20-million.

Apart from the heist plot, Reggie loses a winning lottery ticket while hiding in the jewel thieves’ can. He wants the ticket back and Ice wants the diamonds, so they join forces—begrudgingly, of course.

For all the film’s light-hearted banter and silly chase scenes—presumably aimed at children—there is a curious amount of violence. This ain’t Bugs Bunny, despite the film’s buffoonery, and a graphic torture scene spoils the show entirely. :

All About the Benjamins opens Friday, April 19