ChikPapa Very disappointed :(

Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

popcorninhell Harlem Nights is an ostentatious late-eighties crime comedy written and directed by the affable Eddie Murphy during the apex of his career. The film details the rags-to-riches rise of a crime boss named Sugar Ray (Pryor) and his high swinging Harlem jazz club during the 1920's and 30's. Branding himself as a bit of a bon vivant, Ray willingly embraces illegal hooch, prostitution and gambling. To help him, he takes the young Quick (Murphy), a street tough-turned second-in-command, under his wing. Unfortunately years of easy success brings un-welcomed competition from New York mafia head Bugsy Calhoune (Lerner) and envious scorn from corrupt cops and the white establishment at- large.The plot then hinges on what the denizens of Harlem's bootlegger class will ultimately do to save face. Ray, a fair-minded and uncommonly cautious miscreant wants to gather his chips and skip town while Quick is itching for a fight. Much of the film's moral messaging is dropped in the fast-paced conversations between Ray and Quick - Ray of course being the voice of reason. "What are they gonna put on your tombstone? 'Here lies a man, 27 years old. He died, but he ain't no punk.' Hey man, that's bulls**t." Ray's words tower over the movie like a totem.The mood of Harlem Nights veers wildly from low-brow comedy to a fiery mobster film, even within the same scene. All the while, Eddie Murphy's motor-mouth delivery, Richard Pryor's innocuous bumbling and the gruff inclusion of Red Foxx, keeps the seams of this film from popping open with reckless abandon. It's an uneasy mix. One which nearly breaks its ability to transport in tone-deaf scenes that include Arsenio Hall as a bereaved hood and Della Reese as Sugar Ray's resident madam. It's easy to see why Harlem Nights was initially panned given three generations of comedic giants are on screen yet none go for the big titters.Yet what Harlem Nights accomplishes goes beyond a cursory look at the film's rocky production history (rumor is Pryor and Murphy did not get along). With this film comes a time capsule - a lovingly developed recreation of the Harlem Renaissance as told by those who have a stake in seeing that period on the big screen. Being enveloped by Harlem Nights means visiting the busy epicenter of a foreign country that no longer exists. It's overwhelming, jarring and even a little scary but you can't deny its vibrancy.Thus the language may be a little blue, but it does come with unfettered urgency. The humor may be too broad and mean but it dozily leans on some incredibly lush world-building. There are no big comedic payoffs in the traditional sense, but there is a heart to this picture that channels the oral-history, stubborn divergence and tumult of the Harlem Renaissance. Surely we can give a film a second chance based on that alone, cant we?

robert-macc The only reason you should see this movie is if you want to laugh at how dumb it is. But watch it online, don't waste your money on it. It tries to be like "Seinfeld" (yes "Seinfeld" did premiere a few months before this movie premiered). This movie is one of the most crappiest pieces of crap I've seen, and people wonder why they avoid black movies. All there is also, in addition, pure hatred of whites. This type of movie would make Al Sharpton and many like him proud. There movie glorifies the worst garbage I've seen. Stupid, dumb nonsense. It's a ripoff of many classic movies from the 1930s like "Public Enemy" and "Scarface" (the original). Avoid this movie, unless you're in the mood to laugh at how dumb these clowns are.

hatlad First off, if you have "virgin ears," this isn't the movie for you AT ALL. But even if you don't mind a little profanity, this flick is over- the-top with it.One IMDb trivia post says "The F-word and its various derivatives are spoken 133 times." I haven't counted the uses in the many times I've watched the DVD of this movie, but I wouldn't doubt that total at all. And that's to say nothing of the other profanity liberally spoken besides the F-word.That having been said though, this movie is one of my favorites. (Of course, I love any movie with 1920s an 1930s gangster type plots, old time cars, machine guns and fedora hats.) But, I dig this one out a couple times a year and rewatch it. Here's why:* Even with all the profanity, it's just a great movie! * All the actors gave command performances. * Some of the dialogue and one-liners in it are just real rib-cracking funny! (Della Reese's "Kiss my ENTIRE a**!" has me cackling with laughter every time. And "The Champ's" comment to the other fighter "Try not t-t-t-t-o t-t-take this ass whippin' uh-uh-uh personally" is another one that busts me out laughing every time!) * And Lela Rochon is H-H-H-OTTT!!!!The amazing way they end it and wrap up the plot was masterful. Doubtful you'll see it coming.

Joe Mama A great cast full of amazing comics, solid writing, and fun situations detailing the changing of the guard in NYC's criminal past make this movie one of my favorites. It isn't a laugh a minute, and isn't supposed to be, but it keeps a light-hearted spirit and a general tenor of good nature even in it's darkest moments. The cast is excellent and brilliant at keeping the movie well-paced and engaging and the characters are fleshed out just enough that the comedy behind them shines through. Completely entertaining and features Eddie Murphy at his prime (although it's certainly a bit of Eddie patting himself on the back for being so damned charming and brilliant as writer, director and star, but he's honestly done a great job. The man knows funny.) In a word: fun.