Soul Men

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Soul Men

R

2008

1h 40m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

44%

Tomatometer

98 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Louis (Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd (Bernie Mac) used to be one of the country's top musical duos, until they broke up and never spoke again. Old animosities resurface 20 years later when the two are thrust together on a cross-country trip to take part in a tribute concert honoring their late band leader. Louis and Floyd have just five short days to bury the hatchet -- hopefully not in someone's head -- before they take the stage at New York's Apollo Theater.

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Critics Consensus

Soul Men features lively performances from Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson and some hilarious moments, but ultimately suffers from an unoriginal script.

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Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Nov 13, 2008

1.5/4

Soul Men could have been so much more.

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Jonathan F. Richards

Film.com

Nov 10, 2008

Considering the canvas the story provides, and the richness of the tradition it taps into, the amount and quality of the music is pretty disappointing.

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Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

Nov 10, 2008

2.5/4

This one's only fair, but it has its low-down wiles and its moments.

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

Feb 4, 2022

2/5

It has some great bits but they're all spaced out. I feel like the editing really messed up the pacing, which is probably why it felt uneven.

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

Feb 4, 2022

2/5

There's enough here that was entertaining for me to power through the film but it felt uneven in the comedy. That was frustrating as a viewer watching Bernie Mac's final film performance.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 28, 2020

2/10

Not a hint of originality can be found in this lifeless tribute to music and old school mayhem.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 20, 2026

The worldwide gross is $12,082,391.00, less than the budget of $40,000,000.00. This movie lost lots of money after taxes, and I'm serious about the loss of dollars!

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Oct 31, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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David W

@RT91245001 Oct 6, 2023

Soul Men would likely be unnoteworthy if not for the fact that it is the among the last appearances of both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. It's a fun film that delivers laughs and doesn't ask much in return. It may not be winning any awards, but it will lift your spirts and give you a good time. The special tribute in the credits is worth sticking around for. I would watch this again.

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steve d

@RT35616104 Jan 18, 2023

A want to be gross out version of The Sunshine Boys, all it does is make you roll your eyes. The cast is solid, the script is not.

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Jan 13, 2022

This raunchy anti buddy comedy also had some heart at times and definitely kept giving me Blues Brothers vibes. Even though this was pretty predictable, and muddled tonally, I enjoyed the chemistry between the two leads, and am definitely glad they didn't shy away from the R rating. The end credits scene heavily featured Bernie Mac and was a pretty touching tribute to him and Isaac Hayes. Samuel L. Jackson Binge: This felt like they may have been writing this character with Mr. Jackson in mind all along. 4.5/10 *SLJ #11

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Mar 16, 2017

This months movie review for March 2017 is Soul Men. This movie came out in 2008. This movie is good. Bernie Mac is in this movie along with Samuel L. Jackson. My favourite part of this movie is when Bernie have intercourse with the woman in American Pie and the she has false teeth and Bernie was upset. This part of the movie was the funniest part. The Legendary Soul and Blues Musician Isaac Hayes is also in this movie. The R & B Musician John Legend is in this movie too. It was a short role for John Legend. I give this movie two thumbs up. 3 and half stars.

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Malcolm D. Lee

Director

Samuel L. Jackson

Louis

Bernie Mac

Floyd

Sharon Leal

Cleo Whitfield

Adam Herschman

Phillip Newman

Sean Hayes

Danny Epstein

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Synopsis

Louis (Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd (Bernie Mac) used to be one of the country's top musical duos, until they broke up and never spoke again. Old animosities resurface 20 years later when the two are thrust together on a cross-country trip to take part in a tribute concert honoring their late band leader. Louis and Floyd have just five short days to bury the hatchet -- hopefully not in someone's head -- before they take the stage at New York's Apollo Theater.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Producer: David T. Friendly, Steve Greener, Charles Castaldi
Screenwriter: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Dimension Films, Friendly Films
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Nudity|Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 7, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.1M
Runtime: 1h 40m

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