Ladies Man, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 Content: -3

Tim Meadows brings his Saturday Night Live love-advice character, Leon Phelps, to the big scene. Drawing on his seemingly vast, personal experience, Leon dispenses advice to the men and women of Chicago on his radio talk show. However, his graphic sexual advice draws a lot of complaints, fines from the FCC and being thrown, literally, off-the-air. And his producer, Julie (Karyn Parsons), is having a hard time finding Leon new jobs. When Leon receives a letter from a past lover offering him her wealth and her body, he thinks his problems are solved. If he can remember and find which past lover wrote the letter. Complicating Leons search is a club of revenge minded husbands, led by wrestling fan Lance (Will Ferrell), whose wives were touched by Leon. Like past SNL productions, THE LADIES MAN once again proves that stretching a short skit to feature length doesnt make it funnier. But SNL fans will probably help initial box office sales.

Leon appears to be a product of his environment. Flashbacks show him as an orphan left on the steps of Hugh Hefners Playboy Mansion, which indoctrinates him in his hedonistic lifestyle. But Leon also appears to be clueless about social morals and equates love with sex. He also seems clueless to his true assets, humor and a genuine concern for helping people. In an exaggerated way, he is truly governed by his libido. Therefore, much of the film features frequent crude sexual comments and a few scenes of Leon in bed with women. The mens group identifies Leon by a tatoo in his posterior, seen as he runs away. However, Lance, the mens group leader makes implied comments and later admits to being homosexual. In one disgusting scene, Leon challenges a man to a contest that ends with the man eating human excrement. Despite its few moments of good advice near the end, THE LADIES MAN cant get out of its immoral mire.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA 90038