Down to Earth

When Rock finds his authentic swing as an actor as well as a comedian, he'll be, like, a movie god.

A little too shipshape, too eager to please, not quite as anarchic as the best comedies.

Rock (is) arguably the best comedian in America, as well as a curiously important cultural figure. It does not, however, make him an actor. In fact, it makes him something like the opposite of an actor. He does not produce lifelike gestures and emotions.

Mr. Rock's attempts to disentangle himself from his persona while offering audiences a sliver of insight into his world is a lofty ambition, but Down to Earth falls short.

Mr. Rock's opening scene is very funny. After that it's a steep downhill slide.

If Rock ever comes to his senses, he can host Saturday Night Live and skewer this damp, gag-riddled civics lesson of a movie.

The film seems to argue that Rock's real-life manipulation of the race card is little more than exploitation, rather than the essence of his incendiary comic critique.