Bill Bellamy's pretty famous from this role. It's almost surprising he wasn't in more comedic roles back in the '90s as he's great looking even being an MTV VJ, almost being the keyword. OK, well enough about Bill. I love all the women in HtBaP especially Lark Voorhies and Natalie Desselle! God rest Natalie's sweet soul. Natalie's so pretty and Lark is a pretty girl legend whose so gorg. HtBaP has a bunch of hot babes that show their boobs, like supermodel Amber Smith for one. This was like a dirty little dose of softcore porn for me when I was a teen. HtBaP is a completely original fun film that I love. Not for the kids.
18 Reviews
It was funny at the time.
xytek5 March 2007
OK, I remember watching this movie and yeah, it is silly, i didn't once think "oh this is going to be ground breaking stuff". You have to look at the audience the movie is targeted for. Fact is, there are people out there that are "players" and "Haters". You get a good picture of both in this movie. I thought the most interesting thing in this movies was how the main character was describing just how he was getting over on the ladies. Now i admit, in another life, some of the SAME stuff he was "doing", I did. So it cracked me up seeing it on a big screen for all to see. This one of those movies where you are with your buddies, having a few beers, and want to waste some time. I have seen BAD movies before, and trust me, this is far from being the worst.
It was a Fair Movie
chinadoll_9115 January 2006
This move was fair because it was a story that featured over dramatic funny events. It also gave a insight how a guy was able to be a player. Some women like, Marie Marrow, aka Katrina, actually enjoyed men who were about game. I will admit there were parts in this movie that they could of cut out but one could easily figure out what was going to happen before the scene occurred. I would not suggest ever seeing this at a movie theater but this is a funny rental that I think one would get either by themselves or with good friends. I do not think this movie set African Americans back in anyway. This movie was a typical funny movie that was just over dramatizing relationships and situations.
The Worst Movie Ever
surguinej-122 October 2011
I happened to see part of How to be a Player last night when surfing the TV channels last night. I really couldn't believe it was on the air. Terrible acting,stupid dialog, boring script, everything was so bad! And the actors were so stereotyped and so predictable. There was absolutely no character development to say the least.
About an hour later, I flipped past it once again and watched for about 3 minutes to see if it was still as bad as I had thought. It WAS! Whoever thought this would be a good movie was sadly mistaken. Amazingly, our new channel "Bounce" showed it back-to-back on Friday night. Why???
About an hour later, I flipped past it once again and watched for about 3 minutes to see if it was still as bad as I had thought. It WAS! Whoever thought this would be a good movie was sadly mistaken. Amazingly, our new channel "Bounce" showed it back-to-back on Friday night. Why???
Okay! Who's bright idea was this?
afrokarate197815 February 2005
You know, there seems to be a problem with movies like this, and that problem is that they exist. A friend of mine gave me this movie (bootlegged of course) right when it came out some eight years ago. When I first pressed play, I laughed, but for all the wrong reasons. I laughed because this movie sucked! Point blank. I also came to the conclusion that movies at the theater are not worth my money. I would not have paid to see this "movie".
I've heard the statement "they don't like this because it's black actors trying to do something". Well I'm black and I don't like it. The whole "playa" cliché' overstayed it's welcome and this movie emphasizes that logic. Bad idea. A failure to communicate resulted in this debacle.
I've heard the statement "they don't like this because it's black actors trying to do something". Well I'm black and I don't like it. The whole "playa" cliché' overstayed it's welcome and this movie emphasizes that logic. Bad idea. A failure to communicate resulted in this debacle.
Well... at least the music is OK
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews26 November 2007
I've watched and enjoyed two other 'black' comedies(not to be confused with "black comedies"), The Wash and Booty Call. However, in the very first scene of this film, I found myself having a bad feeling about it(yes, that was a Star Wars reference)... I started to think this was going to be a dreadfully bad film. Sadly, my instinct turned out to be right. The plot is fair, but it's not very well-developed. The situations are instantly forgettable. The credits have just barely finished as I'm typing this, and I'm straining to remember any of it. The acting is not terribly short of perfectly atrocious. The characters are pretty thin, very nearly stereotypes(I know I say that a lot, but believe me, this time, I *really* mean that). The only way you can really distinguish between them(a task I found nearly impossible to accomplish throughout watching) is to note their extreme personas(which seem to be about all of them) and attach said attributes to their respective character names. Sorry, that was somewhat confusing, wasn't it? Not quite as confusing as trying to tell these caricatures, pardon, characters apart(rather alarming, really, considering how few there are). The film has a moral, or at least thinks it does. I did find some poetic justice in the film, but the majority of it just seemed forced, underdeveloped. Now, the main reason I borrowed this from a friend was that I read the plot... and personally, I cannot stand the thought of 'players' or 'playing'. I can think of few things that bother me more than disrespecting women. The idea of seeing such a 'player' be put in a situation where his 'game' stands to be exposed, in front of the poor girls that have fallen victim to him, no less... why, I found that to be potentially every bit as entertaining as watching Charlie Sheen(or his character on the show, it's quite difficult to tell them apart) get a taste of his own medicine in *that* episode of Two and a Half Men. Yes, schadenfreude. It's not nice, but neither is 'playing'. Whether or not the film contained just that, I shan't say. I wouldn't want to ruin whatever there is left of it for anyone who has yet to see it(and still intends to). Why is it, by the way, that a man being promiscuous is 'playing', whilst a woman doing the same is a slut? Personally, I find that to be a double-standard. Yes, women make an emotional connection to whomever they sleep with... but men have emotions too, despite many of us attempting to deny that fact. A few final thoughts... I very much enjoyed and appreciated the fate of one particular character, whom I found myself feeling sorry for throughout most of the film. Why *did* Bernie Mac attach his fairly big(star-status-wise, not 'number of letters'-wise) name to this film? And finally, the music in this was better than the film. I recommend this to fans of 'black' comedy, and it helps if you're big on gratuitous nudity and stereotypes(and for anyone wondering; yours truly is most definitely not. I belong solely in the first-mentioned category of that sentence). Could have been worse, but there's far most definitely room for improvement. 3/10
Major setback for African-American cinema, with one exception
pwmoses29 May 2000
This film was a travesty for African-American films, it probably killed several deals for quality African-American films to get made. The only thing I can find good in it, was the beautiful actress Mari Morrow, who had nothing good to work with in the material. She is reduced to just a lovely piece of eye candy amongst the madness.
Brilliant Cinema
scottoli18 November 2007
Anyone who thinks that this is not one of the best movies ever needs to seriously rethink their life. The acting was on point, the characters were well developed, and I certainly learned a thing or two about life. Life dose NOT get much better than this. I own two copies one on VHS and one on DVD so that way where ever I am I can watch this amazing flick. My favorite scene is the backyard barbecue.... the way the pimp of all pimps gives his advice is an aspiration to us all. I would suggest to anyone at all that you go and buy this amazing theatrical effort as soon as you possibly could. The very state of your life could depend on it.
Oh God please have mercy on me!!!
Mickey Knox17 December 2000
This is definetely one of the stupidest movies i have seen lately. It's totally stupid and although it was supposed to make me laugh (some other users said you'll roll over the floor laughing), it didn't even make me smile, not even once. Everything about it is stupid and uninteresting. The plot almost doesn't exist, the characters are weakly built, the dialogue is not funny at all, the actors play horrible. What could any human being enjoy at this movie? I have no idea. If you wanna see a bad-acting Bellamy jumping like a bull in heat from one bed to another, then go ahead. But i've had enough of this crap. Vote: 2 out of 10.
Very funny, and very exciting
danceability-111 January 2012
very funny, and very exciting.
The movie "How to Be a Player is one of the funnies movies I have ever seen. I really enjoyed watching this movie. It was extremely funny. I laughed throughout the entire movie. If you have not seen this movie, you must!
"How To Be a Player" Had me rolling from beginning till the end.. Bernie Mac was Hilarious.. and the story was cute and thorough. Bill Bellamy and Natalie Desselle "his Nosey sister were good as well.
Yes I saw this movie years ago, I just upgraded from VHS to DVD. It's good to have it just brings back memories.
danceability-1 Amsterdam Holland
The movie "How to Be a Player is one of the funnies movies I have ever seen. I really enjoyed watching this movie. It was extremely funny. I laughed throughout the entire movie. If you have not seen this movie, you must!
"How To Be a Player" Had me rolling from beginning till the end.. Bernie Mac was Hilarious.. and the story was cute and thorough. Bill Bellamy and Natalie Desselle "his Nosey sister were good as well.
Yes I saw this movie years ago, I just upgraded from VHS to DVD. It's good to have it just brings back memories.
danceability-1 Amsterdam Holland
How to Stroke Your Own Ego
view_and_review20 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Eddie Murphy had one in "Boomerang" and Martin Lawrence had one in "A Thin Line." What's that one? An homage to their ego. "How to be a Player" is Bill Bellamy's homage to his ego and then some. This was a disgusting display of womanizing that, beyond absurdly unbelievable, was repulsive. I never thought Bill Bellamy was funny, but that's not to say he couldn't gather enough talent around him to make a funny movie.
He did not.
Bill Bellamy made himself an ultra-player. He had women all over the area jonesing for his loving. He shamelessly sexed up one woman after another in a serial fashion. To make the scenario even more ridiculous he had his posse tag along with him from house to house as he laid the wood to his mistresses. These tagalongs of his weren't friends of his as much as they were sycophants. They clamored just to get some of his knowledge, some of his game, or some of his leftovers. It was the utmost of servile, pedantic, and humiliating. It should have been humiliating for both the "player" and his pupils.
Bill had his teacher as well, Uncle Fred, who was none other than Max Julien, the star of the 1973 blaxploitation film, "The Mack." Uncle Fred gave a quick pimp lesson to the admiring youngsters sitting around him like star struck fans. It was some of the dumbest and simplest summation of men-women relations that could ever had been uttered. Howard Stern could not have spoke stupider words.
So the movie went, Bill slayed one girl after another while his surly sister tried to take him down. His animal attraction was so strong that even when one woman knew his game, she couldn't help but be attracted. The climactic scene would come in the form of all of his conquests showing up at the same party. It turned into your typical juggling act in which he had to figure out how to keep all the women in the dark. Because he was a super player he was able to deftly keep all the women ignorant of the others and even land his sister's friend. It was a wet dream for the best "player." Bill Bellamy was a MVP.
I think there were two funny scenes, none of which involved Bill Bellamy. And that was probably the biggest crime of the movie.
He did not.
Bill Bellamy made himself an ultra-player. He had women all over the area jonesing for his loving. He shamelessly sexed up one woman after another in a serial fashion. To make the scenario even more ridiculous he had his posse tag along with him from house to house as he laid the wood to his mistresses. These tagalongs of his weren't friends of his as much as they were sycophants. They clamored just to get some of his knowledge, some of his game, or some of his leftovers. It was the utmost of servile, pedantic, and humiliating. It should have been humiliating for both the "player" and his pupils.
Bill had his teacher as well, Uncle Fred, who was none other than Max Julien, the star of the 1973 blaxploitation film, "The Mack." Uncle Fred gave a quick pimp lesson to the admiring youngsters sitting around him like star struck fans. It was some of the dumbest and simplest summation of men-women relations that could ever had been uttered. Howard Stern could not have spoke stupider words.
So the movie went, Bill slayed one girl after another while his surly sister tried to take him down. His animal attraction was so strong that even when one woman knew his game, she couldn't help but be attracted. The climactic scene would come in the form of all of his conquests showing up at the same party. It turned into your typical juggling act in which he had to figure out how to keep all the women in the dark. Because he was a super player he was able to deftly keep all the women ignorant of the others and even land his sister's friend. It was a wet dream for the best "player." Bill Bellamy was a MVP.
I think there were two funny scenes, none of which involved Bill Bellamy. And that was probably the biggest crime of the movie.
It is so funny
kotruckin22 November 2000
This movie is very nasty, but it still so funny. A movie about how a player is trying to teach a player while his sister is trying to catch his cheating tail. Very funny. You will be on the floor laughing. Just don't get a heart attack from doing it. Just kidding. This was just too funny.
Cool movie
spirochete23 November 2001
I think it is sad that people take movies so seriously. This movie is a very good laugh, but only if you look away on the thin storyline and the weakly played characters...I personnely dont think they are...Well in my opinion its a cool movie where you can get a good laugh...
Possibly the 2nd best African American comedy I've seen
StepLuvX22 June 2006
I just watched this movie again after seeing it many years ago, and it was just as funny as I remembered it being initially. This is one the best black comedies in recent years, it's very light hearted and not meant to be taken seriously (it's a comedy after all) Bill Bellamy & his friends are hilarious. This is definitely as must see for anyone wanting to see a good light hearted comedy that will make you laugh all the way through. The only movie in this genre that currently comes to mind that I liked better than "How to be a Player" is the original "Friday". To sum it up, see this movie if you like African American comedies, or light hearted comedies of any genre with no deep message & just a lot of adult oriented laughs.
This has got to be one of my favorite movies.
kornguy-210 December 1998
Not a great film.
Unbreakable2711 October 2005
The only thing funny about this movie was the fact of how bad it was. Bill Bellamy should stick to stand-up comedy. He is not a good actor. The entire cast was as bland as the deepest meaning of the word could get.
It makes his friends look rather pathetic as they ride around with him as he gets laid three or four times. All this movie is about is his friends following him around while he bounces from house-to-house like a rabbit in heat.
There was some nice eye candy in this film, but other than that, very bland. All of the jokes are cliché', stereotypical and about as funny as a natural disaster.
The only good thing about this movie other than all the beautiful women in it (Lark Voorhies, Elise Neal, Jazmin Lewis, Beverly Johnson) was Bernie Mac's performance as he is always good, as well as Gilbert Gottfried..
What I found to be very offensive is this movie's portrayal of black men. All of us are not 'dogs'. I also found the constant reference to our sisters as 'bitches' and 'ho's' to be a little annoying too.
Only watch out of boredom, not for a great film experience.
It makes his friends look rather pathetic as they ride around with him as he gets laid three or four times. All this movie is about is his friends following him around while he bounces from house-to-house like a rabbit in heat.
There was some nice eye candy in this film, but other than that, very bland. All of the jokes are cliché', stereotypical and about as funny as a natural disaster.
The only good thing about this movie other than all the beautiful women in it (Lark Voorhies, Elise Neal, Jazmin Lewis, Beverly Johnson) was Bernie Mac's performance as he is always good, as well as Gilbert Gottfried..
What I found to be very offensive is this movie's portrayal of black men. All of us are not 'dogs'. I also found the constant reference to our sisters as 'bitches' and 'ho's' to be a little annoying too.
Only watch out of boredom, not for a great film experience.
Long live those hiphop-babes!!!
DJ Inferno8 December 2001
Lots of hot chicks like in those hiphop-videos on MTV and a plot that doesn´t strain your nerves too much..! Okay, sometimes this shot is pure camp, but who really cares?!? ...No film is perfect!!!
I´d give 6 out of 10...
I´d give 6 out of 10...
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
