Review: Dolemite Is My Name

Image courtesy of Netflix.

I'm forever grateful to Rudy Ray Moore for introducing me to the insult "rat-soup eating motherfucker," a phrase he deploys liberally in "Dolemite," the 1975 blaxploitation cult classic that I first saw in high school - and which is only topped by the even-more-insane sequel, 1976's "The Human Tornado" - and has acted as an inspiration to several generations of hip hop artists. Moore has been dubbed the "Godfather of Rap" due to his X-rated rhyming boasts and toasts that have been sampled or pay homage to by the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg (who makes an appearance in Netflix's new movie, "Dolemite Is My Name").

Directed by Craig Brewer, this biopic doesn't necessarily differentiate itself stylistically from a number of other movies about oddball dreamers who found success due to luck and pluck. On the other hand, Moore is a singular character and his rags-to-riches chronicle is certainly colorful and entertaining. It's also a nice comeback film for Eddie Murphy, who'd fallen into PG-rated obscurity in the 21st century, only to be revived by his role in "Dreamgirls" before mostly falling off the map.

"Dolemite" could be a relaunching pad for the comedian-actor — who'll soon be seen in a sequel to "Coming to America" and a fourth "Beverly Hills Cop" picture - and it would be well deserved. Murphy's foul-mouthed foray back into very R-rated territory is long overdue, and he shines as Moore, a man who's significantly more modest than one might expect considering the nature of his Dolemite character.

As the film opens, he's managing a record store in California and struggling to get a career off the ground. Moore is older, overweight and seemingly without much inspiration. Some R&B tunes he recorded in the 1960s never hit the charts and his stand-up act at a local nightclub mostly exists to introduce musical acts.

One day, he finds inspiration in a bum who wanders into the record store, regaling all who will listen with braggadocio stories involving feats of strength and sexual conquests, all in a hilarious rhythmic pattern. Moore seeks out the bum and records the stories he tells, and then uses those stories to create a stage character known as Dolemite. Once he introduces the character into his own act, people start to take notice.

Moore operates as a DIY entertainer, recording a "live" comedy album with a group of people he knows in a rented room, and then capturing the attention of a record company after the street sales of his comedy record take off. He applies this same strategy after deciding to make a "Dolemite" movie, enlisting the help of famed actor D'Urville Martin (a hilarious Wesley Snipes) and some film school students, who thankfully know how to operate cameras and other equipment (Moore knows nothing about making a movie).

For those unfamiliar with the "Dolemite" movies, they are lovingly clunky - hilariously profane, ridiculously violent (albeit noticeably fake) and featuring the most unrealistic kung fu fights possibly ever filmed. Whether they're "good" in the traditional sense is beside the point - they're infectiously and outrageously amusing.

That sense of joy is captured in the making of the film in Brewer's picture. Some elements in the movie get a little old - for example, how many times do we need to hear Moore's mantra that Dolemite is his name and "fucking up motherfuckers is my game"? - but it's overall a highly entertaining two hours spent with a great host.

The film is a great vehicle with which Murphy can relaunch his movie career, and a loving tribute to storytellers — think a much raunchier Ed Wood in this case — who make up for a lack of technical skill with passion, good humor, a love for their collaborators and a knack for salesmanship. "Dolemite Is My Name" is a lot of fun.