Durell (Ice Cube) and LeeJohn (Tracey Morgan) have been best friends since childhood, and while life hasn’t exactly treated either man well their ability to stick to one another through both the thick and through the thin is wonderfully commendable. But sometimes both have to wonder what exactly it is this bond has gotten them, especially after LeeJohn’s latest scheme to sell ten pimped-out $1,200 custom wheelchairs has gotten both men in trouble with the law.

Tracey Morgan in Sony Pictures' First Sunday

Faced with a mountain of community service, one upset gangster looking to get back his chairs and an ex-girlfriend of Durell’s threatening to move to Atlanta with the pair’s son unless she raises $17,000 for her struggling hair salon, the duo come up with a plan so crazy it might send the both of them straight to Hell. They’re going to rob the neighborhood church in the middle of the night when no one is around to notice them, hoping God will give them a pass considering they’re doing so for what they feel is a definite good cause.

Things don’t exactly go as planned. For one thing, the church isn’t exactly empty, the Pastor (Chi McBride), his Deacon (Michael Beach), their choirmaster Rickey (Katt Williams) and whole passel of others on the premises discussing a potential move for the congregation. Worse, the money is already missing, one of the people in the eclectic group already hiding the cash for their own nefarious ends. With time running out Durell and LeeJohn have to discover who has the loot. But the Lord works in mysterious ways and as the evening progresses both men start to come to the dawning realization that the quickest path to salvation doesn’t come with dollar signs but instead comes from being man enough to do the right thing.

I’ve decided that there are two groups of people in the world. The first set are those television viewers out there who love Tracey Morgan and think he is a comedic genius for what he does each week on NBC’s “30 Rock.” Then there are those who find watching the guy about as entertaining as listening to nails sliding down a chalkboard. Sad to say, I belong to that second group, and for the life of me I can’t even remotely figure out what it is about the guy people find so gosh darn amusing.

Which is a huge problem where it comes to the new comedy First Sunday because, without a doubt, he is by far the best thing this film has going for it. Writer and director David E. Talbert does all he can to showcase him above everyone else in the picture giving him all of the best lines while keeping the camera planted firmly upon him even when all he’s doing is standing befuddled in a corner. For me, this is just about as painful as it gets. For a lot of other people at the packed screening I was at it was cause for jubilation. What that means for anyone taking the time to read this review I haven’t the first clue, I guess just keep that fact in the back of your mind as you make your way to the end.

I say this, because by and large this film is nowhere near as heinous and horrible as those monstrously awful trailers for it had led me to believe. There is an actual heartfelt sweetness to it all that’s actually slightly endearing. More, I’ve always been a bit partial to Cube, and even though he’s made some stinkers over the last few years he more than shows why I continue to give him my gentle support here. The man has an easygoing charm that’s completely believable, and while the character of Durell isn’t exactly a stretch for him to say he does more with it then I originally expected he would is definitely something of an understatement.

All that said, there is no way I can recommend First Sunday in anything close to resembling good conscience. Talbert’s writing borders on the horrendous, while his pacing skills leaves a whole ocean of possibilities to be desired. Worse, he hasn’t the first clue as to how to end his picture, the whole thing ending in a tidal wave of shouting, screaming, finger pointing and otherwise incomprehensibility that’s almost mind-boggling. It all drowns in wave upon wave of saccharine idiocy that’s absolutely dreadful, and by the time it ended I was more than ready to grab my things together and leave. 

Still, if you’re a fan of Ice Cube you shouldn’t be too disappointed. More, if you’re a fan of Morgan you’ll probably be downright pleased. Me, I’m neither here nor there about the darn thing. It just wasn’t my cup of tea, and if I was to go looking for a lightweight comedic sermon taking a seat in a pew at First Sunday is about the last place on Earth I would choose for myself to be.

Film Rating: êê (out of 4) 

Additional Links:

-  First Sunday Theatrical Trailer