Themes: Heroic Mission, Fighting the System, Righting the Wronged
Main Cast: Lance Crouther, Jennifer Coolidge, Wanda Sykes, Robert Vaughn, Chris Rock
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 81 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
This comic spoof is spun off from a character that first appeared on The Chris Rock Show, and is written and directed by Louis C.K., one of that show's producers. Lance Crouther stars as Pootie Tang, a crime fighting superhero and recording artist who speaks in an unintelligible gibberish that seems to be a combination of Ebonics and street slang. Despite his communication problem, Pootie is a hero to children, whom he attempts to protect from the evil Dick Lecter (Robert Vaughn), a corporate fat cat out to corrupt America's youth with alcohol, tobacco, and junk food. Pootie also runs up against an artistic imitator (David Cross) and a sleazy recording executive (Andy Richter) Pootie Tang co-stars Chris Rock, Dave Attell, and Bob Costas and Conan O'Brien as themselves. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
The character of Pootie Tang, a blend of hip-hop star and blaxploitation stud superhero, is well played by Lance Crouther who simultaneously brings to mind both Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite and Buster Keaton's hilarious stone-faced expressions. For its first 15 minutes, the film is an inspired series of jokes ranging from a parody of a fight scene in an action film to the unusual death of Pootie's dad, including maybe the funniest scene ever of an unfaithful lover being kicked out of his jealous girlfriend's apartment. Although the film is unable to maintain the humor and the energy throughout its rather short 75-minute running time, Pootie Tang does deserve to be mentioned alongside Hollywood Shuffle and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka as one of the few films to take a strong comedic look at the images of African-Americans in popular culture. Though unable to expand on its sketch-comedy roots, Pootie Tang has all the makings of a cult favorite. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Andrea Stanley - Art Director, Momita Sengupta - Associate Producer, Brett Goldstein - Casting, Louis C.K. - Co-producer, Blair Breard - Co-producer, Amanda Silberstein - Costume Designer, Mary Rae Thewlis - First Assistant Director, Louis C.K. - Director, Doug Abel - Editor, Sean Daniel - Executive Producer, Michael Rotenberg - Executive Producer, Van Toffler - Executive Producer, Dave Becky - Executive Producer, QD3 - Composer (Music Score), Michael McQuarn - Musical Direction/Supervision, Amy Beth Silver - Production Designer, Willy Kurant - Cinematographer, Chris Rock - Producer, Caldecot "Cotty" Chubb - Producer, Ali LeRoi - Producer, David Gale - Producer, Tonero Williams - Set Designer, Richard Steele - Sound/Sound Designer, Peter Schneider - Sound/Sound Designer, Roy Anderson - Stunts, Louis C.K. - Screenwriter, Prince Paul - Additional Music, Burton Weinstein - Supervising Sound Editor, Michael Lyle - Supervising Sound Editor
