It's a testament to the gravity and
authority the late Bernie Mac brought to his roles that he manages to hold onto
his battered dignity throughout an early scene in Soul Men, where he hits unexpected high notes as a
doctor shoves fingers up his rectum. It's a painful gag on multiple levels.
Sadly, that hackneyed bit is the rule rather than the exception in this dreadful
comedy. Soul Men
subjects Mac to an endless gauntlet of humiliation, sexual and otherwise, using
him as a sturdy vessel for stale gags involving Viagra, inopportune erections,
and groupies with false teeth and/or comically oversized breasts. The film is
so unrelentingly awful that its schmaltzy end-credits dedication to Mac and
co-star Isaac Hayes feels tacky and disrespectful.
Keep scrolling for more great stories from A.V. Club.