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'Dave Chappelle's Block Party' is worth celebrating

To those, including this reviewer, still looking for clues as to why Dave Chappelle left a $50 million deal for continued seasons of "Chappelle's Show" purportedly over frustration, his new concert film "Block Party" offers this startling theory: He's a regular guy who didn't need the money or the stress.

Rogue Pictures 'Dave Chappelle's Block Party' 3 out of 5 stars Director: Michel Gondry Starring: Dave Chappelle, Kanye West, Dante 'Mos Def' Smith, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli Run time: 100 minutes Release date: March 3, 2006 Rating: R for language. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime [an error occurred while processing this directive]

In most of "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," a documentary about a September 2004 Bedfort-Stuyvesant concert that Chappelle put together to celebrate his landmark deal with Comedy Central, the comedian is no different than fans would expect: hilarious and lovable. Rather than throw a black-tie affair of P. Diddy-style extravagance, Chappelle midwifes a free show on a New York neighborhood block featuring some of his favorite musicians: Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, The Roots, Dead Prez and Kanye West, among others.

The lineup is telling: With the exception of West, whose popularity and ego were both about to explode, the artists aren't chart-topping divas and bling-toters. And when Chappelle introduces a reunited Fugees, complete with another famous disappearing act, Lauryn Hill, he's crafted a superconcert that deserves to be witnessed by any self-respecting fan of neo-soul and hip-hop. Badu crowd surfs. Big Daddy Kane (Big Daddy Kane!?) raps with The Roots. Dead Prez make you believe there's still such a thing as militant rap.

Those expecting "Chappelle's Show: The Movie" won't necessarily be disappointed by the charming doc, directed with restraint by "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" wunderkind Michel Gondry.

Though it lacks sketches and characters (unless you count the ever present Roots drummer ?uestlove, who backs every musician in the film and who never, ever wears out his welcome), the humorous moments in "Block Party," sparse as they are, are funnier than any current comedy in theaters.

"Where'd you park your time machine?" Chappelle barks at a mohawked Mr. T look-alike who challenges him to an on-stage rap duel. Days before the concert, Chappelle walks the streets near his home in Ohio, giving out tickets (including bus and hotel accommodations) to teenagers, the clerk at the store where he buys cigarettes and an old woman who agrees to go, it seems, simply because of Dave's charm. Dave tries on a pimp suit and verbally assaults his imaginary workers in the mirror.

If "Block Party" were just a collection of funny Chappelle moments and great music, any fan would be pleased. But the best bits, surprisingly, don't belong to the comedian. Two teens tell the story of passing up a fight on a golf course after being called a racial epithet simply because they didn't want to miss the concert. A middle-aged white woman in Dayton ponders her suitcase, wondering what one wears to a rap show. And best of all, there's the priceless reaction from the kids in Central State University's marching band upon learning they'll be playing at Chappelle's party. They later back Kanye West, parade-style, down a New York City street on a rousing "Jesus Walks."

Dave Chappelle glides through these moments with his unique mix of hilarity, self-deprecation and grace that's reappeared lately during his "Oprah" and "Inside the Actor's Studio" appearances. Comparing musicians to comedians, Chappelle baldly tells the camera, "I'm mediocre at both, but I'm managed to talk my way into a fortune."

He's wrong, of course. He's funny even when he's not trying. Even better, though, is that whether he's watching his dream concert unfold or talking to children at a nearby elementary school, Chappelle seems often moved and entertained by those he so effortlessly moves and entertains.