Fifty Shades of Black was waaaay better than Fifty Shades of Grey (though that's not a hard feat #IMO). It was also funnier than I expected, as the Scary Movie series never really did it for me. But my friends and I had plenty of good laughs throughout the film, with the occasional moments that fell flat or were just too over the top (but they were actually few and far between). Continuing to team up with Michael Tiddes (director) and Rick Alvarez (writer and producer along with Wayans), who he also teamed up with on the A Haunted House series, Marlon Wayans continues the Wayans' legacy. Though Marlon is the only Wayans in this trio, Tiddes and Alvarez have worked on other Wayans projects like Dance Flick, Second Generation Wayans, Littleman, Scary Movie, and White Chicks.
The film seems to really hone in on the Fifty Shades of Grey story throughout the film. One friend even mentioned it followed the book more than the Fifty Shades of Grey film. I never read it, so I can't speak to that. But this was different than Scary Movie, where it felt like each scene had to have at least 2 to 3 references to other movies. While I enjoyed figuring out which movies were being referenced in each scene, I think I find the way Fifty Shades of Black for the most part stuck to the Fifty Shades of Grey plot more enjoyable. They did however throw in other films, like the Magic Mike scene (and I am here for Magic Marlon...when did he get so handsome...). I also liked the way the film brought in not only pop culture references, but also current event references such as Trump and his run for president and Black Lives Matter.
The beginning was a bit rocky, especially the first scene with Christian (Wayans) and Hannah (Kali Hawk). But they played off each other very well during the rest of the film. Despite each being in only one scene, Mike Epps and Florence Henderson were the focus of the scenes and contributed to the actual story (as opposed to just being randomly thrown in the film). Mike Epps was funny, nothing new there. As for Florence Henderson, she definitely isn't a Brady anymore. LOL. O...and the music was good too! Overall, it was a funny movie that kept me laughing while simultaneously shaking my head and/or covering my mouth in shock. Marlon is keeping the Wayans a household name, and I look forward to his next film!