Failing Grade for Passing Strange

Spike Lee has created a body of work that has drawn him a good deal of critical acclaim and a fairly healthy fan-base. I've always had mixed feelings about his output. In my opinion, he's a tad overrated, although I do admit that he has created some quality films. But sprinkled throughout his resume are some clunkers.

"Passing Strange The Movie" is a bit of a departure for Mr. Lee. It is a no-frills capturing of a Broadway show. Unlike some other shows and concerts that have yielded outstanding cinema, this has nothing extra to it. The film is simply a view of the show as if we were seated in the audience. Granted, they are good seats. But so what? I was expecting there to be some backstage views of what goes on during the production, or a "making of", or something other than just watching a Broadway show. I was mistaken.

About halfway through the film I finally came to terms with what I was seeing. I assume that Mr. Lee saw the show, loved it, and decided that he just had to share this gem with everyone else. The show itself is mildly entertaining with some good spots, but nothing more. The overall effect becomes a sense of curiosity as to why the film was made at all.

Perhaps the worst thing about the whole evening is its seeming interminable length. It clocks in at an extraordinarily long two hours and fifteen minutes. By the end, I was praying for it to cease and I found myself looking around the room to see if anyone had passed out from boredom. No one did, so maybe it's better than I thought it was. But "Passing Strange The Movie" does not receive a passing grade from this corner.