Music video director Jessy Terrero makes an impressive feature film debut with a hip-hop-pin’ comedy about an airline tailor-made for bruthas and sistas. Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Mo’Nique and Tom Arnold take to the friendly skies aboard Flight 0-69, the maiden voyage of NWA Airlines. The soundtrack kicks, the Cristal flows and crass comedy is in full effect in this urbanized take on the “Airplane” spoofs. As the one-of-a-kind carrier’s founder, Nashawn Wade, newcomer Kevin Hart scores plenty of laughs, and Sexy Sofia Vergara exor-cizes the demons of last year’s horrendous, “Chasing Papi,” playing a smokin’ hot flight attendant.
The “pimp purple” and chrome-colored plane is tripped-out with hydraulic shocks, Jacuzzi, a dance club with deejay, even a wisecracking bathroom attendant (D.L. Hughley). It’s a nonstop par-tay for everyone aboard, from those in first class to the ones in low class. As Captain Mack (Snoop Dogg) guides the plane precariously toward New York, the passengers and crew bust out the crude humor and let it fly. There are numerous duds littered among the belly laughs, but that’s to be expected in a film that flaunts its Ludacris-ness like bling-bling. “Soul Plane” begs not to be taken seriously, and those who oblige will most surely enjoy the ride. (Rated R for strong sexual content, language and some drug use.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 28, 2004. Read the original PDF.