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Review

Soul Plane isn’t going to win any awards, nor is it likely to receive much praise. It is a lowbrow, crass, silly movie with little or no redeeming values other than the cheap laughs one is sure to get. Providing one is not adverse to offensive humor and accepts the inane proceedings for what they are — no more than an excuse for an ongoing series of distasteful gags and skits. The quantity and heights of said laughs will probably depend on the specific viewers’ penchant for crude humor, urban slang and rappers turned actors.

Comedian Kevin Hart is Nashawn Wade, awarded 100 million big ones from a lawsuit against an airline that is responsible for the death of his dog and some indeterminable damage to his posterior. He decides to use this money to buy his own airline in his own image (even dubbing it NWA for Nashawn Wade Airlines). Replete with super hot stewardesses, a pimped-out purple airplane (with hydraulics!), an onboard night club, strip bar and casino as well as a host of other outlandish features that you will never see in a ‘real’ airline. Method Man is Nashawn's money hungry, scheming best friend; Snoop Dogg is the super-cool, always high, Captain Mack who, apparently, learned to fly while doing time in prison. Tom Arnold stands out as the token white guy, Elvis Hunkee, who unwittingly takes his two children and girlfriend onboard the Soul Plane. Each Hunkee family member responds to the unquestionably African-Americanized airline in various humorous ways, but it is Arnold who is unexpectedly, truly funny throughout. There is plenty of potty humor, outrageous behavior and comical characters (sexed up security guard played by Mo'nique of "The Parkers," an African pilot named ‘Gaymon’ and a persecuted turbaned Muslim nicknamed Osama). Almost every stereotype is exploited and then some. For evidence of this see the flamboyant gay flight attendant Flame or his colleague, the slutty Latina, played by the not-so talented but always nice-looking Carmen Electra.

As expected, on the first-ever flight of the Soul Plane, everything that can go wrong does. Nashawn spends the entire flight trying to quell one potential disaster to the next, all the while pursuing his ex. Method Man continuously ups the ante for ludicrous situations, Snoop Dogg chills in the pilot’s seat, and the remainder of the cast only serve to escalate the onscreen foolishness. While much of the comedy is rude, gross or otherwise offensive, it can at times be very funny. Unfortunately, for every hysterical moment there is an instance of tedium that spoils it, making Soul Plane a forgettable and ultimately disappointing comedic experience.

 -- PJ