Rating: 
Summary: The Stars Steal the Show
Review: "Bringing Down the House" is the latest variation on that old comic chestnut in which a wisecracking, free-spirit type from "the lower social orders" invades the life of an uptight stuffed-shirt type - not only getting him to loosen up that collar and shed his inhibitions but also showing him a thing or two about what really matters in life. This is, basically, a primer for a Culture Clash Comedy 101 course, with a couple of veteran comic professors on hand to teach us all how it's done.In this case, Steve Martin plays the uptight lawyer who is so obsessed with his career that he has already lost his wife over the issue and appears on the road to alienating his children as well. When Peter meets what he believes is a potential love interest in an internet chat room, he figures his life just might be turning around for the better. Peter is all set for a romantic evening - champagne, dim lights, "A Man and a Woman" playing softly in the background - when, at his door, who should appear but that Big Bad Mama, Queen Latifah, as Charlene Morton, an ex-convict who wants Peter to help her expunge from her record the crime she swears she did not commit. Peter is at first reluctant to accept this strange woman into his house and life, but Charlene is nothing if not persistent and she manages to horn her way in anyway. The Jason Filardi screenplay pretty much plays it all by rote. We know, despite their tremendous differences in culture, background and personality, that these two comic titans will end up as great pals by the story's end. Nothing about "Bringing Down the House" surprises us, yet there is a certain amount of comfort to be derived from familiarity and predictability. It's an old formula but one that works fairly well here, thanks, primarily, to the assured, high-energy performances of Martin and Latifah in the starring roles. These two comic masters achieve a real chemistry working together, enough to compensate for the broad stereotyping that permeates the film. Filardi does achieve some moments of genuine hilarity by mixing slapstick and social satire in roughly equal measure. The satire isn't on a very high level of sophistication but it is good enough for a mass audience venture such as this one. Director Adam Shankman is also blessed with a strong supporting cast that includes Eugene Levy as a nerdish - but "freaky" - business associate obsessed with wild black women like Charlene; Joan Plowright as a snooty, eccentric matron whose account Peter is determined to win for his firm; and Bette White as Peter's bigoted next door neighbor who is eyeing askance all the strange goings-on at the lawyer's house. "Bringing Down the House" is at its best when it simply lets itself go, forgets about the plot, and allows its performers to dazzle us with their sheer likeability, i.e., Martin and Latifah dancing up a storm at an L.A. bistro, Martin breaking out into a spontaneous break dance routine while infiltrating an all-black nightclub. It is at its worst in the final scenes when the heavy-handed plot mechanics threaten to torpedo the whole project. Luckily, we have Martin and Latifah to help keep the thing afloat. The vehicle itself may creak at times, but the stars never do.
Rating: 
Summary: This House is Bringing It Too Hard
Review: Clearly, this is a good year for Queen Latifah. With an Oscar nomination for her crafty supporting performance in Chicago, she should have the power to choose her movie roles with unusual care. Obviously, she made Bringing Down the House before the Oscar results were out. Otherwise, she might have thought twice about lending her talents to the deadly silliness of yet another comedy in which a hip-hop black woman teaches an uptight white guy how to relax and enjoy life. In House, she plays convicted criminal Charlene Morton, who by e-mail befriends lawyer Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin), letting him believe she is a blonde, white professional. When she gets out of prison and shows up at his house, he tries repeatedly to send her away. She confronts him with a blackmail threat; he agrees to let her stay if she will pose as nanny to his two children. Of course, Charlene proves to have a magical touch with the kids, and even helps Peter get back together with the ex-wife he still loves (Jean Smart). What Charlene really wants from Peter is to clear her name for good, which leads both of them into an absurd crime-busting caper that serves mostly as a chance for Martin to dress up like Warren Beatty in Bulworth and dance horribly at a black nightclub. Martin and Latifah work well together; she is nearly as outgoing at slapstick as he is, and they both seem to share common talents and interests. I must say that the film was casted very appropriately. Why, I asked myself, is their shared sexual attraction disguised as? There isn't a bit of chemistry between Latifah and Eugene Levy (who likes the Queen's wildness and is infatuated with her cleavage and is also Martin's work colleague and good friend). I think it's because the movie, co-produced by Latifah, was Making a Point, which is that the rich white lawyer should just give in to the hip black woman's sex appeal. This might be a good point to prove, but not in a comedy.
It's not that you don't laugh in this film - it's that too often you wished that you hadn't laughed. But despite some bad taste, there ARE a good amount of laughs. I must admit that this film had a lot of potential. But, unfortunately it didn't live up to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: First off, this movie is awesome. It is the STUPIDEST thing, that people say that this film is... racist?? I mean, come on This movie is so funny, that I didn't want to leave my seat when my little sis had to go to the bathroom. The racist neighbor was a great character to add, though it may not be a needed person in the story. THIS MOVIE IS GREAT, GO SEE IT!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't call me white: or, Racism, Inc.
Review: "I'm not black. But there's a whole lot of times I wish I could say, I'm not white."
-Frank Zappa, "Freak Out" Now is one of the times when I wish I could say, "I'm not white." "Bringing Down the House" (2003) demonstrates what one may call "crypto-racism"---that is to say, "disguised racism." It is true that the openly racist characters of this film, most notably the shrill old social worker, are presented as objects of ridicule. But this appearance of anti-racism disguises the virulent racism that lies beneath the film's surface. Here is the plot: White-as-mayonnaise Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) speaks standard English. He is a workaholic. We know this because he unfailingly answers his cell phone. As a result of his workaholism, he loses his wife and estranges his children. Enter huge-breasted Nubian princess Charlene Morton (Queen Latifah). Charlene teaches Peter to speak Ebonics and to throw away his cell phone, which he does in the last scene of the film in apparent homage to the final moment of DIRTY HARRY, when Clint Eastwood tossed his police badge into a ravine. To summarize: the black woman teaches the middle-class white man how to talk jive and gain some color. Such is her only function in the film and her only meaning. This is the most violent racism conceivable. In a rare moment of lucidity, Roger Ebert observed (note to self: I cannot believe that I am quoting Roger Ebert) that it is odd that the principals of the film (Martin, Latifah) are never paired. Of course, they aren't paired: that would be "miscegenation" and would go against the film's racist sensibilities and offend the film's projected audience.
Rating: 
Summary: 4-1/2 stars -- It's as funny as everyone says it is
Review: I think my girlfriend and I were the last people in the world to see this movie, because we saw it yesterday and nobody else was in the theater. Anyway, Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) is a recently divorced lawyer who really wants to get his ex-wife back, but to put her out of his mind, he meets a woman via internet who turns out to be an ex-con named Charlene Morton (Queen Latifah). While Charlene is trying to ease Peter's life, she also ends up inadvertently wreaking havoc in the process. This movie is very, very good. I especially liked it when Peter's associate/friend Howie Rottman (Eugene Levy) showed up, but everything Eugene Levy does has always been funny. People who say this movie is nothing but a bunch of racial stereotypes need to invest in a sense of humor. I was initially surprised that Ebert and Roeper didn't like this movie, but they don't like anything anyway. If you didn't see this yet, see it now.
Rating:
Summary: A RETURN TO FORM FOR STEVE MARTIN
Review: Steve Martin acts like the Steve Martin we grew up with on SNL, and that is the best thing about "Bringing Down The House." He turns into the "Wild and Crazy Guy" as he dances with Queen Latifah, becomes the overboard non-hip white guy as he apes hip hop, and plays the WASP-y uptight lawyer to perfection. Eugene Levy gets all the best lines, stealing about every scene he's in. Q.L. proves her Oscar nom in "Chicago" was not a fluke. Her presnce and chemistry help save a by-the-numbers movie and give Martin a perfect foil. "Bringing Down The House" won't bring down any Academy nods, but it is a better than average family movie, along the lines of Jim Carrey's "Liar Liar."
Rating:
Summary: How can people miss how offensive this movie is?
Review: Love Steve Martin so I thought this would be worth seeing. Horrible stereotypes of white people, horrible stereotypes of black people. The white people generally seem to be suburban racists. The black people generally seem to be inner-city thugs. There is one scene in the movie that kind of says it all-- Steve Martin doesn't want his neighbors to see him bring a black person into the house (!?) -- so he sneaks her in behind an inflatable raft! Everyone involved in the production should be ashamed.
Rating:
Summary: Mistake On Names
Review: Missi Pyle plays the younger sister of Jean Smart, not Kimberly J. Brown. Kimberly J. Brown plays the part of Sarah Sanderson, Steve Martin's daughter in the film. Just thought that I'd point this out.
Rating:
Summary: No Surprises.
Review: I was looking forward to watching BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE. I cracked up when I first saw the trailer back in December. I thought that any movie that has Steve Martin hip-hopping, has to be hilarious. Unfortunately, almost all the funny scenes were shown in the trailers so there really isn't anything that is unexpected. Not only that but the last fifteen minutes of the film turn into a semi-serious drama which makes the scene of Steve Martin doing hip-hop less funny than it really is. However, the movie does have a few things going for it, mainly Eugene Levy--he steals most of the scenes that he is in and since he wasn't shown very much in the trailers, some of his schtick is totally unexpected. Also, the movie does have Steve Martin and though he does seem to be playing the same character he's played in the last ten films he's done; there are a few comic surprises that he is allowed to unleash. Overall, just an average movie worth waiting until the video comes out.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing New, but Completely Funny & Worthwhile
Review: 2002 was the year that the camera finally realized that Queen Latifah looked good in front of it. With Chicago under her belt, she now has Bringing Down the House as one of her hits (which may also be noted as a miss to some people). Queen Latifah is Charlene, a woman convicted of armed robbery. After an online "connection" with Steve Martin, she tries to convince Martin's character to help prove her innocent. What happens throughout the movie is an entirely predictable for a PG-13 comedy. Right off with the unlikely pairing of Latifah and Martin's characters to the family subplot. Not that this makes Bringing Down the House entirely unwatchable. The performances help that out and bring the movie to it's own. Queen Latifah has great comedic timing, and has a lot of heart too. Steve Martin proves he can still be funny. Eugene Levy was hilarious as always with his consistent banter over Charlene. Missy Pyle adds a ton of spunk as the evil sister-in-law. The interaction between her and Queen's Charlene was great and made for an over-the-top scene in the movie, in a good way. And it was also great to see Betty White playing a ditzy "girl" again. Bringing Down the House didn't break any new barriers, but is a great comedy definitely worth buying.
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