Two aging musicians get back together again after thirty years because of the death of the third member of their band. Bernie Max plays the character of Floyd Henderson. Samuel Jackson plays the character of Louis Hinds. They were in a band, called "The Real Deal" during the seventies, which was popular with a third member Marcus Hooks (played by John Legend). Marcus dies. A tribute show is planned for the Apollo Theater in New York. The producers call them to invite them to perform. Floyd says yes, but Louis says no. Floyd goes to find Louis to convince him to perform at the show.
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When Louis finds Floyd in his apartment, Louis punches Floyd in the face. After Floyd recovers, he convinces Louis to go because of the pay of $40,000 for the performance. They fight over the money. Floyd wants a 50/50 split but Louis insists on 60/40, with Louis getting more. Floyd reluctantly agrees. They take a road trip across the U.S. stopping along the way to perform.
The first performance is a disaster. Louis runs out of breath during the first song. They fight on stage about Floyd stealing Louis's wife thirty years ago. The second performance is better. They do a country line-dancing version of a dancing boogie number. Floyd picks up a woman at the bar. She tells him she never had such an old guy. She has tons of pubic hair, which shocks him. She takes out her teeth to give him oral sex. Floyd still has an erection in the morning from taking too much Viagra, which shows when he comes out on the balcony in the hotel room next door to Louis. Louis has a much younger and prettier woman who turns out to be the daughter of the woman Floyd slept with. When the husband/father shows up, they make a fast escape jumping down from the balcony.
They run short of cash so they stop in Tulsa to see Odetta the woman they both loved from the past, but they find out she recently died.
They meet Odetta's daughter, Cleo (played by Sharon Leal). They try to figure which one of them is her father. They sleep in the same bed in the guest room. Floyd has an erection from mistakenly taking Viagra again thinking they were his heart pills. Louis jumps out of the bed when he notices this. Louis sleeps on the floor. Odetta's daughter can sing really well. Her brother Lester (played by Affion Crockett) hits her. Louis takes his gun away, beats him down, breaks his arm, and throws him out of the house.
Cleo goes with them to Nashville. They meet up with an intern from the New York record label named Phillip (played by Adam Herschman). Phillip has the job to make sure to get them to the performance at the Apollo. Phillip lends them $10,000 and puts them up at the Peabody Hotel in Nashville. Phillip dresses himself like a pimp and tries to pick up girls at the bar. They play at the House of Soul with Isaac Hayes in the audience. Cleo sings and she performs very well. Floyd finds out he is not Cleo's father. Louis is. Cleo tells Floyd she gets a blind trust from her father's royalties. Louis told Floyd he lost his royalties gambling. This is why Louis is so poor.
They fight and Floyd breaks up the room. Cleo comes in when the hotel staff opens the door because of the noise. That is how she learns Louis is her father.
Cleo's brother Lester kidnaps Phillip. Lester comes back for revenge. Lester tries to shoot Louis and Floyd. Louis hits him with the car. They take his gun away. Floyd and Louis are both arrested. Lloyd is let out when their version of the story checks out but Louis is held because he violated parole for having a weapon and driving across state lines without a license. Lloyd breaks Louis out of jail.
They are taken off the show and the intern is fired when the news gets on TV. However, they go to the Apollo Theater anyway. They convince the producer to put them on. They hide from the police in the coffin on stage with the dead guy. It is a very large coffin in the shape of the piano. Louis offers Floyd 50/50 of the money. Floyd tells him there is no money, it was just a lie to get him to come. Louis is happy about it. When they open the coffin the audience sees the band called "the Real Deal" is all in the coffin, all three back together again. The police wait offstage to arrest them and let them sing one song for the finale.
Best part of story, including ending:
The fighting between Louis and Floyd is very funny, especially when Floyd fires the gun in the car by accident and nearly crashes because of it.
Best scene in story:
I like the scene when Floyd is in bed with the woman and she takes her teeth out. It is gross but funny at the same time.
Opinion about the main character:
Luis is rather hard on himself but it is good to see he patches things up with his daughter in the end.
