The Fighting Temptations

A wafer-thin farce bolstered by some nifty musical interludes, this vehicle for Cuba Gooding, Jr. actually works better when it focuses instead on performances by Beyoncé Knowles and the other singers in the cast. Gooding plays Darrin Hill, an unscrupulous New York advertising executive who goes back to his Georgia hometown to claim an inheritance, but discovers it comes with a contingency: he must reinvigorate a rundown church choir and win a competition in order to receive it. Not surprisingly, 1) the key to his success lies in his childhood sweetheart, now a widowed mom (Knowles) with an adorable son and a killer voice, and 2) the experience changes Darrin's character for the better. On the comedy side, The Fighting Temptations is stale, little helped by Gooding's shameless mugging, while supporting players like Mike Epps and Steve Harvey are pretty much wasted along the way. But the musical numbers, ranging from hymns to rock and hip-hop and featuring a wide array of talent, are engaging. Still, they can only take your mind off the threadbare plot for so long, and most viewers will find themselves fighting the temptation to turn this one off. Optional. [Note: Available in widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include eight extended musical numbers (31 min.), seven extended scenes (13 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fun (if featherweight) set of extras for a fun (if featherweight) film.] (F. Swietek)