‘Dolemite is my Name,’ a heart-filled trip back to an unsung cinematic movement

From the writers that brought you the 1994 masterpiece “Ed Wood,” comes the newest Netflix original film, “Dolemite Is My Name.” The film tells the true story of Rudy Ray Moore, a wannabe comedian and entertainer who starts hitting it big when he creates a raunchy alternate ego for his comedy acts known as Dolemite. As the popularity of the character grows, Moore and his motley crew decide to make the move to the big screen with a Dolemite movie, with crazy antics following soon after.

The film looks into the making of 1975’s “Dolemite” film and captures the can-do spirit of low-budget filmmaking excellently. The energy and vibrancy needed for a story like this never feels overly done for the sake of entertainment, but nevertheless endures throughout the runtime and is sure to be inspirational for many. Thanks to the sharp pacing and seamless chemistry of the cast, the film’s heart hits hard in this area.

“Dolemite Is My Name” celebrates blaxploitation cinema and sheds light on this unsung era in cinema history and the importance it has had on so many people. The film captures the spirit of this time with glee, featuring excellent production design and a funky 70s soundtrack. This exciting energy keeps the film moving at a good pace, with hardly any dull moments to be found, in part also due to the film’s tight and witty screenplay. The script allows for plenty of moments that blend rip roaring, raunchy comedy with genuinely human moments that explore the motivations of our characters, all which gives the movie loads of personality.

A large reason as to why the film works so well is the pitch perfect cast. It probably comes as a surprise to no one, but Eddie Murphy simply kills it as Rudy Ray Moore. In many ways, Murphy playing the role as an actor who finds himself in various low points and must find the inspiration to create greatness out of himself acts as a great reflection of Murphy’s current career. As a result, Murphy’s turn as Moore is full of brash passion and dynamism, but with enough humanity to ground him. Alongside him are numerous fantastic supporting performances, including Keegan-Michael Key, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess and Wesley Snipes, all of whom bring Moore’s real life ragtag team of entertainers into an eclectic collection of quirky and memorable characters.

If there are any issues the film has, it mostly comes through in the ultimate familiarity that comes with biopics of its kind. While the movie is very entertaining, anyone going into it is more than likely to predict what may come out of the story, especially if you have seen the writers’ work on “Ed Wood,” which this movie shares many similarities in its series of events, characters and overall approach to its direction. For those looking for a straightforward look at the life of Moore, it should also be noted that the film, while mainly looking into the work that went into the making of “Dolemite,” does jump around in some places to show how other scenes from his later movies ended up coming into fruition, but doesn’t make it abundantly clear.

Nevertheless, “Dolemite Is My Name” has the kind of boundless energy and passion needed for a story such as this and does so with endless amounts of heart. While it may be easy to see where certain plot points may be going, the film has more than enough to make the experience worthwhile. So get your gang together and dive into this wild ride.