For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

This movie gets a bad rap but it's actually quite interesting in its portrayal stereotypes and racism. It's sad that it was made because there shouldn't be such stereotypes and racism in society. But the movie goes about having a laugh with it all while still showing the ignorance in people. C. Thomas Howell used to be able to act back then and he does a great job. There is fine acting all around particularly from James Earl Jones and Rae Dawn Chong. On the unfortunate side, Leslie Nielson was terribly underused and so out of character as a racist piece of crap. In the end, right prevails over wrong, we have a few laughs, and ponder the idiocy of racism.6.1 / 10 stars--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

Loads of fun, entertaining from start to finish (don't over-think the plot, characters and so on, just enjoy it, PC or not). Thomas C. Howell plays it excellent, as does Arey Gross. And James Earl Jones is, as always, in a league of his own! Even Julia Dreyfuss makes a memorable performance and Rae Dawn Chong also holds her own as well. Soul man has that special some-some that makes a movie great; A small ensemble of characters, who were eloquently cast, a straight forward story and a the right mix of comic relief. So go ahead and enjoy, you won't regret it. Keeps getting better and better every time round. Mark Watson - come on down!" :)

Ridiculously unfunny 80s switcheroo comedy about a teenager named Mark (C. Thomas Howell) who desperately needs a scholarship to get into Harvard - the only problem is, the one remaining scholarship is open only to blacks. You can guess Mark's brilliant plan, as well as the fate of the entire movie. Funny premise and great co-stars (James Earl Jones, Leslie Nielsen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus) cannot a good movie make. Jokes are wasted and the film is way too predictable.** / *****

This movie was disgusting. C Thomas Howell was sorry. Oh, and could they find a more non black woman than Rae Dong Chong. I think if the casted an actress who excepts who she is would have given this piece of crap of movie a little more weight. The whole concept of a white boy taking pills to turn his skin brown to become black is absolutely absurd. I don't know one white kid in America who would do such a thing no matter how desperate they became. The racial jokes, police following him and the dating my white daughter thing is only the tip of the iceberg as far as racism goes. These examples were very light. There should be a law against making trash like this. Oh, by the way, what the heck was James Earl Jones doing in this toilet floater?