Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, and Steve Harvey are The Original Kings of Comedy

The show opens with Harvey (who has his own sitcom on the WB network). With his silver suit and inviting grin, he could easily pass for a Wall Street tycoon. When he speaks, however, Harvey unleashes a stream of hilarious observations that make you realize that the stage is where he belongs. Some of his topics include race in the movies. "If Titanic had been about black people, there wouldn't even be no movie!" he claims. "What black band do you know that would play while the ship was sinking? Kool and the Gang would have been out of there!" The idea leads Harvey into a riotous pantomime in which he brainstorms using a table and a napkin to make a raft.

Harvey comes across as the nice guy. His humor has edge, but it's good-natured. He pokes fun at rap concerts (he can't understand what the rappers are saying) and sports stars who commit crimes. He also gets a prime opportunity to ad lib when a front row patron bails out on the show, leaving his very expensive looking leather jacket behind. Harvey makes the guy come back up front to retrieve his coat, then schools him on his rather outrageous appearance.

The next comic is D.L. Hughley (who has a sitcom on ABC). He claims to have proof that Jesus was black ("Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine. If that ain't black people, I don't know what is!"). Hughley improvises with audience members by needling them on various aspects of their appearance. The crowd eats it up, aware that each jovial gag also contains a grain of truth. Hughley also claims that black people don't bungee jump because "it's a little too close to lynching."

The third act is Cedric the Entertainer, a guy who just looks like he'd be funny. He emerges from the stage wearing a bowler hat and an impish grin. You just know this guy has the right stuff. Cedric, too, touches on race. He hilariously suggests that white people walk straight into the heart of conflict, whereas black people start running just because they see someone else running. Other riffs include ridiculous street names (like "Delicious") and ghetto weddings.

To some degree, all of the comedians do variations on the theme of differences between black people and white people. Nonetheless, the humor is doled out fairly, with both races made to seem both more logical and more illogical than the other. The observations are never delivered with cruelty; they serve to remind that humor is a great bridge over racial differences.

The last man to take the stage is the great Bernie Mac, who has appeared as an actor in films like The Player's' Club and Life. He is the most edgy and angry of the comedians, although it's obvious that a good heart lies beneath his bluster. Mac uses his bulging eyes and booming voice as comic props. He explains that he doesn't care for sex anymore ("I used to be good at it. I'm not good at it no more.") and brings down the house with a bit about child care. (Mac takes care of his sister's children; he candidly confesses that she's on drugs.) As a grand finale, he explains the importance of a certain 12-letter profanity that begins with the word "mother."

The Original Kings of Comedy is filled with wall-to-wall big laughs. I can't really go into much detail about the routines because they are often peppered with profanity. Nevertheless, they contain insight and perspective. Like all the best comedians, the Kings don't just tell jokes; they offer a world view, using humor to make their point. All four men are very good at what they do, which means there are no slow spots.

Spike Lee has done a masterful job filming the show. I usually find concert films dull after a while. They become static and monotonous. Lee puts the camera in enough different places to keep the view lively. He also intercuts the on-stage performances with backstage chatter. This is a perfect example of how a concert film should be done.

I laughed often at this movie and came away admiring the performers. These gentlemen are in top form here, easily holding the audience (both in the arena and in the theater) in the palms of their hands. The Original Kings of Comedy is a real delight.

( 1/2 out of four)

The Original Kings of Comedy is rated R for language and sex related humor. The running time is 1 hour and 57 minutes.