Based on a true story, this film follows the real-life legend Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy). As the film begins, Rudy is working as an assistant manager at a record store, but he feels he was always destined for more incredible and bigger things. Soon he discovers he has a talent for crude and rude stand-up comedy along with rap music and he releases his tracks on vinyl, creating an alternate character who will forever be known as “Dolemite”.

But the core focus of this film is the journey, and passion Rudy gets later in life to create his 1st full-length feature film along with his close friends. This film became a phenomenon which was called, yes, you guessed it, Dolemite.

I have never seen the 1975 film that this movie is based on, but I’ve always been aware of it and the after-effects that this film had, along with its victory in profits and the subsequent fan following upon its release in the 70s.

I found myself invested in Dolemite Is My Name because of a few core reasons. Firstly, not only is seeing the return of Eddie Murphy keen, but his performance as the confident Rudy is also fresh and fabulous to see. It truly gives the audience confidence that Eddie Murphy still knows how to bring both humour and a solid performance to the big screen.

Secondly, without spoilers, the story of how this film got made is also incredible and fun to see. Naturally, I couldn’t help but also think of another movie which was released in 2017 known as “The Disaster Artist”. This film also told the story of one man’s passion and desire to make a big Hollywood film.

After watching Dolemite Is My Name, I couldn’t help watching a little bit of the 1975 film. Within a matter of moments, I became even more impressed with Eddie Murphy’s performance as well as how faithful this film is to the original content and plot.

The film also warrants its R18+ rating. Be prepared to hear lots of foul language and a couple of unnecessary scenes which include nudity.

Overall, Dolemite Is My Name tells a fun tale about one of the biggest motion picture films from the 70s. It’s downright enjoyable to see Eddie Murphy return to our screens and it is refreshing that actor proves he’s got it in the bag.

8.1/10

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Review Written by Peter Walkden