“What’s “Back on the Strip” About?
After losing the woman of his dreams, Merlin (Spence Moore II) moves to Las Vegas to pursue work as a magician, only to get hired as the Front Man in a revival of the notorious black male stripper crew, “The Chocolate Chips.” Led by Luther (Wesley Snipes) -now broke and broken – the old, domesticated, out-of-shape, Chris puts aside former conflicts & reunites to save the Hotel they used to perform in while helping Merlin win back his girl!
Back on the Strip
Casting Tiffany Haddish in the film I must say is a GENIUS casting move! Her character of Verna started on the Strip …so why shouldn’t her son end it on that same strip, but technically not following in his mother’s exact footsteps, but by doing things his way & on his terms, hence the name of the film. Merlin was kind of a letdown wanting to be a magician being obsessed with magic as a young kid following him into adulthood, but he soon found out that other avenues could befall him when he least asked for …and expected it.
Where’s The Magic …With The Chocolate Chips?!?!?
There’s always hot ELECTRIC magic back on the strip & that raunchy dance floor …but when Merlin hits that stage for those horny, sex-crazed women, he blows up – and NOT in a good way. He starts by attempting to show the ladies a fiery magic trick that goes awry and Merlin ends up with half his clothes off and of course that turns the hot ladies ON ON ON!!! Merlin is seen by Luther, who is a former Chocolate Chip, and then recruits Merlin to take his place & find the remaining 4 members.
When the Chocolate Chips are all united, back on the strip, back together rehearsing, …they have the moves, but of course, TIME has aged them so they are not exactly …” stripper ready” to be back on the strip, but they do it anyways because they need to continue to strip to help Rita save the Club & Motel. These 5 guys try to work themselves up into shape to pull this off, but out of all of them, Da Body was the ONLY member of the Chocolate Chips that did not look like a morsel aka a tiny small & in-shape, masculine man to strip. He was a 300 if not weighing more man! LMAO! How in the hell is that attractive? It was funny to see – and watch Faizon Love have fun with the role and I hope that he was wearing a body suit!
YES! You know I saved the BEST for the LAST! Back on the Strip may have been a low-budget film and had a bunch of actors that we all know in it; might not be all A-List ones; but they ARE INDEED ones that we all know, or at least heard of! There was a twist in the film that I did not see coming @ all whatsoever where Merlin is concerned & when it is revealed you will be just like me; well your reaction that is, IF you don’t figure it out beforehand. In closing, the film was very enjoyable; highly enjoyable actually and it was magical to me in a sense because Merlin used his talents (his God-given talents) to be successful to attain the ONE thing he always wanted more than being a magician …and even a Chocolate Chip! 
