And though it’s bound to be a mere footnote in Isaac Hayes’ and Bernie Mac’s distinguished careers, Soul Men ain’t a bad way for either to go out, fondly satirizing the soul music Hayes embodied with one of Mac’s better screen performances. And in Samuel L. Jackson, Mac has a perfectly matched co-star, someone with an equally intense glare, a commanding voice and a gift for delivering profanity as poetry. As an estranged and embittered R&B duo back on the road for one last hurrah, each performer is allowed to unleash the full power of his comedic fury. Unfortunately, limp pacing and a clumsily deployed supporting cast only get in the way.
