The idea of spoofing a movie like "Fifty Shades of Grey" doesn't quite seem like a difficult thing to do. There is just so much to play around with (no pun intended). Well, that is what I thought, until Marlon Wayans and his team proved me wrong! I swear that is what they set out to do with "Fifty Shades of Black", and there could never be a better explanation of why the film turned out so stupidly horrible.
Firstly (starting on a better note), Marlon Wayans actually pulls off that Christian look quite nicely. Even though he might come off as young (mostly emphasized by his trendy German haircut) or rather inexperienced, he still looks quite dapper and commanding in that black suit. While he is no Idris Elba, he really proved himself as a good fit for a black Christian Grey. However, in "Fifty Shades of Black", he isn't just a black version of Christian Grey, he is Christian BLACK. A total opposite of what Grey is. Jamie Dornan’s Christian Grey has some kind of button-down stiffness about him that commands respect in an aggressive yet subtle way while Marlon tends to seem like a nice guy that is just trying a bit too hard not to come off as a whimp. I guess that is where the elements of spoofing begins for "Fifty Shades of Black".
The original is mostly based on the kinky and dominatrix sex life style and preferences of Christian Grey; and while most of his encounters that we see on the movie are with Anastasia, the focus is not quite about her but him. He has some sort of power over her and she is submissive and obedient. In "Fifty Shades of Black", we see an interesting twist where Hannah's S&M appetite seems to surpass that of Christian as she pushes boundary after boundary, coming up with sexual behaviors that he has never imagined, which leaves him wallowed up in his embarrassment for his shortcomings.
Hannah is much more out there and aware (or should I say 'ghetto smart') than her naive yet flirtatious counter part, Anastasia; but even so, her modesty is also largely exaggerated. She is made out to be the ugliest and most awkward woman on earth, which is really hard to register when Kali Hawk actually has the cutest smile but "Fifty Shades of Black" will make sure that you buy into their idea whether you like it or not. Mirrors break due to her 'bad looks', she crashes into doors, and her head gets smashed by elevators. The movie will absolutely drown you up will all sorts of tasteless jokes.
From scenes of prosthetic penises that come in all shapes and sizes (which I presume is supposed to make us giggle like a bunch of teenage girls) to sloppy tongue kisses and a roommate that has chlamydia. The film is just trying too hard and failing dismally. Then there is the typical racial slurs which aren't even given much effort. It is like they just took ALL basic stereotypes that have ever been pinned on black society and piled them up into this one movie. Not funny at all. Just overdone and predictable. It is worth mentioning though that the joke on Christian Black's array of whips hanging on the wall of his Red Room of Pain, labeled “Amistad ”, “Glory", “Django Unchained” and “12 Years a Slave” was a clever touch. So yes, I laughed a few times; I'll admit that, but it really just isn't a good film.
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