The Honeymooners, directed by John Schultz, is a long overdue film version of a television sitcom from the 1950s. However, the 2005 version features two African American couples. When the film begins, in 1999, busdriver Ralph Kramden (played by Cedric the Entertainer) woos and wins waitress Alice (played by Gabrielle Union), promising that one day they will share in the American Dream. Six years later, Ralph's get-rich-quick schemes have amounted to nothing. However, the owner of a nearby duplex, Miss Celestine (played by Doreen Keogh), has decided to retire in Florida, so she is pursued by a slick white dude, William Davis (played by Eric Stoltz), who owns the rest of the block and needs her house so that he can demolish the old structures in order to build an apartment building. But Miss Celestine, a regular patron as Alice's cafe, prefers to sell to someone who will keep the property as a house. Accordingly, Alice is eager to make the required $20,000 down payment, but she lacks the full amount. Meanwhile, Ralph is depleting their joint bank account on more crazy schemes, so Alice cannot make the down payment, even with $10,000 from the generosity of her mother. One scheme involves buying a trolley in an abandoned subway underground as a tourist trolley; but, after placing a winning $3,500 auction bid while his friend ed Norton (played by Mike Epps) prevents a Japanese investor from bidding, Ralph realizes that he cannot bring the trolley to the surface, because the tracks do not lead out. The second scheme involves trying to enter a greyhound abandoned in a dumpster into a dog race in New Jersey; despite training from Dodge (played by John Leguizamo), the dog does not even finish the race. Eventually, there is a happy ending, as expected. The humor is enjoyable, but those who remember the television version will miss the harsh scolding by Alice followed by Ralph's trademarked cry of frustration, "One of these days--pow--right in the kisser!" The film's Norton is goofy, helpful, and loyal but less amusing than in the TV series, and Norton's spouse Trixie (played by Regina Hall) never quite comes into her own. Nevertheless, The Honeymooners may spawn a sequel, with crazier schemes. After all, what could be more unreal than a duplex in New York that can be purchased with a down payment of $20,000 in 2005? MH
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