The Janky Promoters (2009) User Reviews (18)

Fun movie

[xfx54 · 6/10 · 25 February 2010]

I watched this movie hoping the negative reviews were making it sound worse than it really is, and I was right. The movie is actually a good movie, or pretty decent. I didn't expect this film to be like the Friday films, which I also am a big fan of. But instead, just watched it because I like Ice Cube and Mike Epps. Being a fan of both, this movie was just more clowning, good story, and funny entertainment. I don't know why people are saying its stereotypical. I mean, who cares.. its just fun.

Nice character development and overall well written. Its got its high and low moments, and an ending that is kinda predictable but I didn't think that took away anything from the film. If you like Ice Cube and Mike Epps, give it a watch.

reasonably entertaining satire

[Buddy-51 · 6/10 · 30 November 2012]

Racial stereotypes and the accoutrements of hip-hop culture come in for some gentle ribbing in "Janky Promoters," a fairly innocuous though still relatively entertaining comedy written by and starring Ice Cube.

It's a tale of two second-rate music promoters (Ice Cube and Mike Epps) trying to stage a rap concert in Modesto, California, and the many personal and financial hurdles they have to jump over to pull it off. It's not a slashing satire by any stretch of the imagination, but a game cast (including an entertaining Young Jeezy who brings a great deal of charm to his portrayal of himself) and a few genuinely funny moments make up for its overall blandness.

Getting' Janky Wit' It

[hypestyle · 4/10 · 6 April 2010]

"Janky Promoters" is the latest gleefully low-brow buddy comedy pairing Ice Cube and Mike Epps. Here, the duo star as a pair of improbably incompetent concert promoters. Cube (Russell Redds) and Epps (Jellyroll) have just struck a deal with popular hip-hop artist Young Jeezy (playing himself), and have less than 24 hours to finalize the logistics, despite the fact that they have less than $1,000 between them.

Thus begins a series of increasingly grating misadventures, as Russell and Jellyroll seek to con their way into having a successful show. The filmmakers could have made the lead characters more likable, despite their slacker status. As it stands, despite the efforts of Cube and Epps, Russell and Jellyroll mainly come across as boorish clowns that you want to fail--Russell steals his fiancée's checkbook to pay his share of the concert costs, and Jellyroll brags to a reality-TV crew that he's sleeping with a married woman (Character actors Tamala Jones and Glenn Plummer are wasted as the unfaithful wife and her cuckolded husband, respectively.) It's hard to sympathize with most of the characters here; they to be reflexively foul-mouthed and defiantly ignorant. Among the parade of eccentrics are star-struck hotel maids and a mom who prepares crack like it's Sunday dinner. One of the few bright spots involves Russell's teen son 'Young Seymour' (James "Lil' JJ" Lewis), an amateur rapper who nonetheless thinks he's entitled to a room-crowding entourage. Russell's unabashed encouragement of Seymour's dancers to rump-shake more inadvertently highlights the recurring critique of rap-as-sexploitation.

Taking into account such film phenomena as American Pie, Wedding Crashers and The Hangover, 'slob comedies' clearly have a place and an audience. Still, "Promoters" isn't likely to entice viewers beyond the converted. Looking at the broader themes in the film, it could have been a more clever satire of behind-the-scenes goings-on in the hip-hop music industry (screenplay credit goes to Ice Cube.) Yet the film functions as an unofficial sequel to the Friday movie series--in fact, given the cult popularity of those films, it's unclear why the filmmakers didn't go that route. Unless viewers are Ice Cube or Mike Epps completists, "Promoters" is a rental at best.

Bad to the Bone

[OutsideHollywoodLand · 2/10 · 3 February 2010]

I like Ice Cube - hell, everyone likes Ice Cube. Crossing over from the rap / hip hop music genre, this likable hardcore rapper surprised everyone by stepping into a promising film career that begun in the 1990s with Boyz n the Hood. A bankable actor, writer, director, and producer, who's specialized in snappy hip movies and predictable family fare, Ice Cube continues to make us wonder just what he'll do next.

This is one film that probably read much better in the early stages of creation. The Janky Promoters is so bad that one feels sorry for the cast – themselves all pretty much MIScast, who had to suffer through Marcus Raboy's tame direction and Cube's weak screenplay. Janky might have done better with the star behind the camera and some solid actors sprinkled among the novice cast.

And someone should tell executive producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein to stop profiling when casting movies with an urban setting and an African-American story. The Janky Promoters is replete with one stereotype after another, from the big-booty slut to the one-dimensional rapper Bow Wow parody. Enough already! Thankfully, many of Ice Cube's better moments can be rented, especially my favorite, the Friday trilogy. And it's nice to know that we can still look forward to other Cube experiences, hopefully chosen more wisely.

Ice Cube and Mike Epps could have done better

[Floated2 · 5/10 · 10 January 2011]

Janky Promoters is another film starring Ice Cube and Mike Epps. Many Ice Cube and Mike Epps fans were probably looking forward this, but it is not as good as their previous meetings (Friday series, All about the Benjamins). The premise is certainly workable for Cube's return to R-rated comedy: Cube and Epps are the promoters of the title, and they prove their monumental jankiness in their attempts to put on a Young Jeezy concert in sleepy Modesto, California. Given that Cube and Epps more than likely have had their fair share of experience with real-life janky promoters, one would think that Cube's script would have some clever and biting jokes about the many such nonprofessionals who infest the business, but the sole inspired moment is in a fairly throwaway visit with Cube's not-so-upstanding mother. There were many unneeded scenes and subplots. The rest of time is fairly one-note in its obvious, rather dully executed, and unfunny comic directions: Cube and Epps cut costs by putting up Jeezy (who appears as himself) and his entourage in a cheap motel (which, predictably, employs some ghetto groupies on the make in the housekeeping staff); Cube tries to push his wannabe rapper son (Little JJ) to Jeezy; etc. Cube and Epps still have chemistry, but both seem on autopilot here, as does director Marcus Raboy, who just slogs through the motions with little energy or visual creativity. Their are some pretty good moments, like the ending. Most of the good scenes either involved the relationship dialogue with Cube and Epps, and the scenes with Jeezy. Altogether, Janky Promoters is a forgettable comedy. http://www.moviewatch.in/external.php?title=Janky+Promoters &url=aHR0cDovL21pbGxlZH JpdmUuY29tL3ZpZGVvcy9kTUtZcnNBQSA=&domain=bWlsbGVkcml2ZS5jb20= &loggedin=0

Just okay comedy wastes its two leads

[dbborroughs · 5/10 · 24 November 2009]

Ice Cube and Mike Epps re-team in an amusing but decidedly low rent story of a couple of losers who try to put on a rap concert in Modesto California . Beginning as things all fall apart at the concert the film flashes back to several hours earlier as the guys lives and scams get in the way of their putting it all together. Amusing to a point but what was this doing being released at all into theaters? Its not that good a movie. Actually this would have been better had one caught this on cable where one could wander in and out on it (and not have to pay 11 buck a head to see it). Admittedly this isn't a good movie, its sort of okay, but at the same time its nowhere near as bad as their previous pairing First Sunday (the less said about that disaster the better). If you must see this wait for cable.

Its funny

[dropbottle · 6/10 · 21 June 2022]

Not that bad , its actually ok . Not the worst movie in the world . Watch it . And really 10 million was this movies budget ? The must of not promoted it that well for it to make 10000 lol.

Craptacular

[luvthenana · 1/10 · 14 September 2018]

Stumbled upon this mess on cable and I still can't believe how much of a garbage flick this is. I had to stop watching it because I could feel my IQ dropping with every passing second. The worse movie I've EVER experienced.

Laughs A-Plenty

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 14 October 2021]

I wasn't quite willing to pay to watch this movie, but I didn't mind watching it for free. I hadn't heard of it and the trailer wasn't very convincing. Well, after having watched it I'm glad I did. It was very funny, and that's coming from a cautious and skeptical viewer.

What I believe was Ice Cube and Mike Epps fourth collaboration ("Next Friday," "The Friday After Next," and "All About the Benjamins" were the three prior) was on par with the quality of the rest. The two of them played concert promoters Russell Redds (Cube) and Jellyroll (Epps) who were trying to make a big concert happen in the sleepy town of Modesto, CA. They somehow figured out how to get Jeezy to Modesto to perform. If you know anything about Modesto you know it is a cowpoke city that's about 75 miles south of Oakland. There's nothing there but heat and agriculture. Their claim to fame is that the movie "American Graffiti" was filmed there.

Russell and Jellyroll are in way over their heads with this endeavor and a blind man can see it. They don't have much money to work with and they are constantly devising plans to get money. It's one hilarious thing after another as they try to put Modesto on the map and keep Jeezy from bailing on them. Both Epps and Cube were funnier than I'd ever seen them together. Cube especially stepped his game up and broke from his traditional deadpan style. "The Janky Promoters" was not a Janky movie.

One of the worst things in Cube's very humorous filmography

[StevePulaski · 4/10 · 21 January 2011]

Janky Promoters starts out strong by introducing very humorous and personality filled characters, but quickly falls apart when the real plot comes forth. I'm a fan of African American comedies, especially Ice Cube's Friday franchise. I was also praising the recent remake of Death at a Funeral that was done with nearly an entire black cast not too long ago. But after seeing Janky Promoters and All About the Benjamins, I'll be sure to fully read the plot of the next Ice Cube movie I catch on Television.

"Janky" is a slang word. It's an adjective that describes something dishonest, untrustworthy, or just plain bad. I eventually had to click "Add to Dictionary" because I was so sick of that red line that appears under "mispelled" or unrecognized words on ProBoards. What a predicament. Oh well, I never give a movie a poor review because of it's title. But I'll usually ridicule it for a bit. That sounds like more fun.

The plot is slim; two concert promoters Russell and Jellyroll (Cube and Epps) land themselves in hot water when they book Young Jeezy for a concert. The problem is the twenty grand they were supposed to give to him to perform, they spent on clothing and accessories. They must recover the money, or get the worst night of their lives.

There isn't a whole lot going on of interest. The biggest letdown is definitely the cast. Ice Cube and Mike Epps have worked in a number of movies together. Epps became the second wheel in Next Friday when Smokey (Chris Tucker) refused to come back for both sequels. In the middle of Friday, Epps/Cube did a so-so unrelated film together called All About the Benjamins. It was fair, but not something I could see myself watching again. Same with this.

My point is Janky Promoters has two comedic actors that deserve way better than this. I'm shocked Janky Promoters 2 is already in the works. To my knowledge, this film was released in theaters VERY limitedly. It got minimal viewing, and was released to DVD. This, apparently, is in it's unfinished state. Cube said that it was released without his knowledge while he was planning a wider release. Whether this is finished or not, I doubt a few minor changes would've benefited it.

About the sequel? Why would you make a sequel to a film that flopped majorly and did extremely poor? It only made a little over $9000 with a $10 million dollar budget. I guess Jeezy, Cube, and Epps have a respectable net worth that one flop can't hurt too much.

Janky Promoters doesn't do it's job of being a good comedy. It's a movie with small giggles, and poor acting. With names like Ice Cube and Mike Epps stamped on the DVD cover you'd think the film would be hilarious. But just like All About the Benjamins, it's so cute and harmless it's forgettable. What a shame. This could've been a very funny, three/three and a half star film. It's like a movie that doesn't take itself seriously. Sort of like...Last Resort? Starring: Ice Cube, Mike Epps, Young Jeezy, and Darris Love. Directed by: Marcus Raboy.

Ice Cube

[kairingler · 8/10 · 11 July 2013]

I totally loved this movie.. Ice Cube , Mike Epps, and Young Jeezy just flat out made me laugh all the way thru,, our story goes that there are 2 buddies who bill themselves as amateur music promoters, and well they actually get their shot at it to promote a Young Jeezy concert.. things start to fall apart.. 1000 dollars is needed to get the ball rolling and our characters are about flat broke,, they try all kind of schemes to get the money,, stealing from their girlfriends.. anything at all that they can do to get the money,, a lot of their plans misfire and they are on the verge of not being able to promote Mr Jeezy, you will have to watch and see if the boys can get their act together and make everything okay in the rap music world... ton of laughs..well worth the price of admission.

Janky Promoters is a worthwhile addition to the comedy genre that's definitely worth your time

[kevin_robbins · 6/10 · 25 March 2024]

I recently watched Janky Promoters (2009) on Tubi. The storyline follows two unsuccessful, shady promoters heavily in debt. When they get the chance to promote an up-and-coming rapper, they see it as their shot at redemption. Can they finally get it right, or will they mess up this opportunity too?

Directed by Marcus Raboy (Friday after Next), the film stars Ice Cube (Friday), Mike Epps (Friday after Next), Lahmard J. Tate (Barbershop), Jeezy (Hustlers), Aloma Wright (Mrs. Deeds), and Glenn Plummer (Strange Days).

Janky Promoters is a well-written comedy (penned by Ice Cube) featuring an impressive cast and soundtrack. The comedic content aligns perfectly with the spirit of the "Friday" series. Cube and Epps have fantastic chemistry, supported by standout performances from Tate and the legendary Pamela Grier (Coffy). Moments like the "did you get that on tape" sequence, the rental car scene, and the Pam Grier interrogation are comedic highlights.

In conclusion, Janky Promoters is a worthwhile addition to the comedy genre that's definitely worth your time. I'd give it a score of 6.5/10 and recommend seeing it at least once.

Janky Promoters (2009)

[cbinion91 · 5/10 · 11 January 2013]

Janky Promoters re-teams Cube and Epps who play two "Janky" promoters, who try to get rapper Young Jeezy to perform at a concert. Cube does his job fairly well but Epps character cons a gang member out of $20,000, saying Jeezy has agreed to perform at the guys Afterparty, and uses the money for his personal attire. This film has a few good laughs in it, such as the Cheaters TV show parody, and Cubes cocaine slanging mother. However, the film could've been better, but that's mostly the Weinsteins fault. The film is set in Modesto,CA and has an OK style for the city, for being shot in Los Angeles. This movie is something someone should rent before they spend seven dollars.

Good idea for movie.

[randychenault · 3/10 · 18 January 2022]

Mike Epps was the only one who was funny at al. Never could understand the fame of Ice Cube(terrible actor).

Its very good idea for a movie, but this just didn't come out right.

Ticket Sales are over rated

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 25 November 2017]

Russell (Ice Cube) and Jellyroll (Mike Epps) get a chance to promote a hip-hop show in Modesto. They don't have the up front cash to do the job correctly as things go down hill. Jokes include Russell's mom being a crack manufacturer as being normal. Jellyroll wondering why a cop is shooting at him just for having an affair with his wife.

Guide: F-word. Sex. No nudity.

For all of you bad critics

[danceability-1 · 10/10 · 20 November 2009]

For all of you bad critics.

I've been looking at the comments people make on movies. all I have to say to the bad critics is a few comments. Most of you who rate these movies based on it's cinematic beauty and character, never take the time to view it for what it was meant. These movies are all great in my book, one being because they are things that I have seen since I was 8 years old and still see today, so I can relate to them. Which is what they are, stories that are told for the enjoyment of people who can relate to them and to show those who cannot, the reality that these characters lived in relation to real life situations.

But since we have a lot of people who were born with silver spoons in their mouth trying to make their voices be the base of the percussion line, they can and will never see it that way. Every time they watch a movie their looking at the camera detail, the acting to be 10 stars, the story to be about white houses with picket fences and a happy ending under a rainbow, while we who relate to the story always think the movie was great because it speaks for us, it lets everyone who see's it know that these things do happen, regardless of it's budget and cinematography.

So to all you bad movie critics, My advice to you is to stop watching these movies that you cannot relate to, or just stop being a critic and just keep it to yourself.

Real Life

[mikepurp · 10/10 · 11 June 2019]

Business is business. The promotion was a great attempt. It shows how anything is possible.

Great

[gtsgates-20457 · 10/10 · 1 March 2022]

This movie is soo funny. I loved it and the best for me is when the promoters try to steal the money from the venue owner. Omg Mike and Cube did a excellent job. I pray your working on another. We need this, a great and funny movie with it not being alot of hood in it . This was awesome 👌. I will be watching again and again.