On October 17, 1997, Tim Meadows debuted his "Ladies Man" sketch on "Saturday Night Live." And, as has become their habit, SNL Studios decided it could make a feature-length movie out of the successful skit. With few exceptions, the results of these decisions have failed miserably. "The Ladies Man" is no exception.
Leon Phelps (Tim Meadows) is the Ladies Man, whose mentality is stuck in the '70s. His disco clothes, his bad but somehow suave pickup lines, his stoned lisp and the fact that he was raised by Hugh Hefner give him the ability to take any woman to bed. Leon works as a Courvoisier-drinking radio talk show host, giving earnest and heartfelt advice on love, or rather, on sex. But after two years of listener complaints and FCC fines because of his lewd comments, Leon and his producer Julie (Karyn Parsons) lose their jobs.
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It is then that Leon receives a letter from a former conquest, begging him to come back to her and, of course, her money. The problem is she didn't sign her name, only "Sweet Thing." He begins to search for this mysterious lady.
Meadows plays his part with the same skill as he does in the skit, which can be quite impressive. '70s sensation Billy Dee Williams does a solid job as bar-owner Lester, "Ladies'" narrator. His voice fits perfectly with the slick style of the movie. But apart from these two performances, the rest of the acting leaves a lot to be desired. Will Ferrell is his usual mediocre self and Parsons, while not bad, is nothing special.
Granted, there are some amusing scenes, but they go for cheap laughs. One occurs when Leon interviews a nun and misinterprets her innocent comments. Another comes when Barney tries to kill himself after catching his wife with Leon. And perhaps the most amusing scene is the "West Side Story"-style song-and-dance scene by the murderous support group as they track down Leon.
Perhaps Meadows should not have called on friend Reginald Hudlin to be director. The "Boomerang" director should have tried to control the cast a little more, as jokes tended to repeat themselves and performances (including one by Tiffani Thiessen) just plain failed.
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This entire movie is a shame. Meadows is a pretty good actor. He deserves better than this movie gave him, and his fans deserve better than this movie. Anyone looking to waste 90 minutes on a barely amusing film should go see this one. Otherwise they should skip it and enjoy "The Ladies Man" where he's supposed to be, in short sketch form every Saturday night.
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