I saw “Soul Men” this weekend and I have been grasping for something positive to say about the movie ever since. There isn’t. The bottom line is that I can think of no compelling reason for anyone to spend upwards of $10 to see this movie. (Just wait to watch it free on cable.) But it looks like the public already knew this because they mostly stayed away. The proof: the flick only took in a disappointing five million dollars in its opening weekend. (I was in a half empty late afternoon showing.)

I know that this is far from the first “black” movie with a thin plot and broadly drawn characters, but I was hoping for something more—especially since this was Bernie Mac’s last film. But he didn’t take it knowing that so he never meant it to be his epitath. I laughed hard at times but the story never seemed to gel. First, I didn’t buy Bernie or Sam as the old dudes they were supposed to be. Their crass language was just more of the same and the long-running Viagra joke just wore thin. Samuel L. just continued playing an amalgamation of his “Pulp Fiction”, “Snakes On A Plane” and “Jackie Brown” personas—with more peculiar facial hair.

Women aren’t painted in a great light either—it doesn’t matter if they were black or white. I didn’t even know Sharon Leal was in the movie until I saw the opening credits. Unfortunately, hers was a thankless and far-fetched role. As the daughter of the woman they both loved, she started out a hard-hearted worker living with an idiot who beats her and ends up a stunning beauty with a voice who shows up just in time to sing with them at that pivotal moment. And she can definitely sing (unlike Bernie and Sam). I think it is a shame that she is the only actress from “Dreamgirls” who has yet to find a breakout role of her own. But I guess she fared better than John Legend who I don’t think uttered a single line (since he was dead the whole time). What a waste.

I like Director Malcolm Lee, but he seems to be moving in the wrong direction. He’s gone from a good film “The Best Man” to this with some suspect stuff in-between (”Undercover Brother” and “Welcome Home Roscoe Lee Jenkins”). Hey Malcolm, You’ve got to do better next time. Do it for Bernie Mac.