When Durell and his best friend LeeJohn are sentences to 5,000 hours of community service neither thought that their life could get any worse. Unfortunately for Durell he was wrong as his ex-girlfriend reveals that she is planning to move to Atlanta. Afraid of losing his son Durell comes up with an unholy scheme to rob the neighborhood church. But when the two finally work their way into the church's safe they discover that someone has already beaten them to the punch. In order to get their hands on the money both Durell and LeeJohn must wait it out in front of the Lord and his followers as they ultimately end up getting a lot more than they had ever imagined.
Though it does possess a few smiles and laughs First Sunday eventually proves to be nothing more than a wannabe comedy full of inadequate acting, overdone stereotypes and a story line that has no backbone or merit.
My first major criticism of the film is its story. Taking two "˜brothers from the hood' and having them rob a church is a clever story that actually had a lot of potential. Unfortunately none of it transferred over to the screen as most of the jokes weren't funny, the arguments weren't believable and the characters that you were suppose to like ended up being more annoying than the film's lone villain. In addition the story was way too "˜safe.' Playing to every known stereotype the film lacked any use of vulgar language, which helped to keep it from reaching any sense of reality. Instead I felt like I was watching a sitcom on my television set, taking away the movie feeling and becoming nothing more than a cliché piece of nonsense.
However I can't put all the blame on the story. In fact most of the blame should be placed on the acting. Ice Cube turn in his usual lackluster performance; failing to bring any emotion of laughs to the screen. Additionally Tracy Morgan misses the cues as his character is overdone and more annoying than entertaining. Then you have to put up with the fact that most of the scenes encompass both actors and you can't help but stare at your watch, waiting for the final minutes of the film to come.
However there is one life saver in Katt Williams. Through his flamboyant portrayal of the church's song leader Williams steals the show as he uses his comedic timing and hilarious delivery to wow audiences and steal the spotlight. In essence he saved the film from being an absolute bomb, though just barely.
In the end the film misses on all accounts. From the story to the acting, everything was off cue. If I can make one suggestion, avoid at all costs.
