There has been a myriad of nostalgic reboots and remakes that have either exceeded the mark, such as 2020’s remake of 1933’s The Invisible Man, 2021’s remake of Dune, and Mortal Kombat. However, there were also those releases that have fallen flat, both critically and commercially, including Robert Downey Jr‘s 2020 Dolittle movie, Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan, and 2020’s The Witches. While it may seem like the entertainment industry is pumping these out due to the lack of fresh ideas, the truth is that some classics deserve a modern remake or a reboot.
The next attempt lies with The Wash, a 2001 American comedy written, produced, and directed by DJ Pooh, starring one of the West Coast’s most dynamic musical duos, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. The movie also starred DJ Pooh, along with appearances by rappers Eminem, Ludacris, Kurupt, Xzibit, former Laker and now sports commentator Shaquille O’Neal, and the comedian and actor Pauly Shore. Now, given that DJ Pooh has previously tweeted that the movie is about to receive a reboot series, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit the movie and discuss all the things that made it great.
The Wash follows the adventures of two roommates, Sean and Dee Loc—portrayed by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, respectively—who haven’t paid their rent and are now facing an eviction by their landlord. Now, Dee Loc already has enough to cover the whole rent (from dealing drugs on the side) but refuses to cover for his roommate, insisting that Sean has to be more responsible and come up with half of the rent. While this seems like a rather reasonable request even among friends, Sean has just lost his job at Foot Locker due to Dee Loc’s sticky fingers sticking to some shoes.
So, instead of covering for Sean or letting him borrow the money, Dee Loc suggests that Sean stop by the carwash where he works and apply for a position there. Mr. Washington, the owner of the carwash portrayed by George Wallace, immediately hires Sean as assistant manager after firing Chirs (played by Eminem) the day before. Everything seems fine and dandy for a time until Mr. Washington tells Sean that he has to fire his roommate because Dee Loc has been caught on tape stealing.
The tables have turned, and now Sean tries to help Dee Loc be more responsible, which creates some friction between them. And that’s where things go hilariously wrong; Mr. Washington gets kidnapped by two clueless thugs—one of whom is portrayed by DJ Pooh—who make their demands via a landline, unaware of caller ID. This reveals their location, and instead of calling law enforcement, Sean and Dee Loc go on to rescue their boss on their own. However, things never go according to plan, and hilarity ensues.
We won’t dive further into the movie so as to not introduce any further spoilers. But we’ll go on to say that The Wash is everything you can expect from a comedy movie in the early 2000’s; it was a mild success with the audience, earning just over $10 million on a $7 million budget. The critic’s reviews weren’t as great, with many criticizing the weak plot, cliché humor, and stereotypical portrayals. However, those very factors made the movie incredibly interesting to audiences, who recognized the film’s entertainment value.
The critics did highlight certain positive aspects of the film, like the cinematic chemistry between Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and some of the film’s genuinely funny moments and action. Others weren’t as impressed, calling the movie sloppily made and scarce on laughs and even going as far as to compare it to 1976’s Car Wash, which is an entirely separate film. The two share nothing but the setting and the fact that they belong to the same comedy genre, all of this withstanding, The Wash has been deemed a rather mediocre movie with good entertainment value, especially if you’re a fan of its heavy Hip-Hop infused cameos.
One of the strongest points of the movie was its soundtrack, which included contributions from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and DJ Pooh, along with Busta Rhymes, D12, Bilal, and Bubba Sparxxx. Its impact was so great the aftermath it had is still felt to this day, as Bino Rideaux and Blaxst reimagined the film’s plot line for their 2021 music video Movie.
As for the TV series, any further details surrounding it remain scarce, and apart from DJ Pooh teasing the making of a reboot with stills from the original movie and various captioning, we really don’t have much to go on. Neither Snoop Dogg nor Dr. Dre offered any comment on whether they’d reprise their roles in the upcoming series, leaving their and original film’s fans hungry for more, and DJ Pooh’s teases of a reboot series are, as of now, still hanging out to dry.