Movie Review: ABOUT LAST NIGHT

ABOUT LAST NIGHT
Director: Steve Pink
Starring: Michael Ealy, Joy Bryant, Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Adam Rodriguez, Paula Patton, Christopher McDonald, Joe Lo Truglio

Is the third time the charm in regards to my relationship, or lack thereof, with Kevin Hart? You may remember from my reviews of Grudge Match and Ride Along that I have not hopped on the Hart bandwagon despite him being a huge box office draw and bonafide laugh-a-minute star to other people. Could he finally star in something that I found funny or have I just given in to his self-deprecating type humor? Could Regina Hall be just the right costar for him?

Bernie (Hart) invites his coworker and best friend Danny (Ealy) on his date with Joan (Hall) while she invites her roommate Debbie (Bryant) along for the night out as well. Bernie and Joan are two loud-mouthed, wise ass individuals who seem perfect for each other. Maybe a little too perfect. They start tossing the drinks and shots back like they’re at some sort of frat party. Danny and Debbie sit back and take in the behavior while cautiously keeping an eye on the time. According to Bernie and Joan, those two are being boring due to the fact they have to work the next day. Debbie and Danny leave early and end up spending the night together.

Bernie and Danny recap the previous night’s activities at work the next day like any two friends would. Their take on the evening is a bit different than how Joan and Debbie recall it. As the months carry on, Danny and Debbie’s one night stand eventual leads to a budding romance. They move in and take those next big steps in a relationship and deal with everything that goes into that. Joan and Bernie do not have the same luck as their adventurous nights in the bedroom come to a screeching halt. This bad breakup leads to many hysterical verbal tirades whenever they have to see each other. Meanwhile, Danny and Debbie’s exes (Patton and Rodriguez) come back into the picture and prove that the strings from those past relationships may not have been completely detached.

As you may recall, About Last Night is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name with Rob Lowe and Demi Moore in the roles played here by Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant. James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins had the supporting characters that Kevin Hart and Regina Hall play. Both films are based off the stage play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” by David Mamet. I have not seen the original film, but I did read the play back in college which was at least a decade ago now. Have no fear as I will not be comparing the two movies. It should be noted that the location has changed to Los Angeles. If you are familiar with those previous incarnations, you will get a kick out of the fact that there is a scene between Ealy and Bryant as they watch the 1986 film and one of the characters talks about the “sexual perversity in Los Angeles”.

I mentioned my lack of appreciation for Kevin Hart above and while that easily could have stopped me from seeing this, the trailers looked promising and I thought if they stuck close to the original source material, I could get on board. Color me surprised as I actually found Hart to be really enjoyable here. In his past films, I feel like he has just playing Kevin Hart and the script always seemed written for him or he improvised his way through many scenes. The script by Leslye Headland (Bachelorette) seems pretty genuine and untouched here. That’s not to say that I believe every scene was shot the way it was written on the page, but the rapid fire dialogue between all four characters is evident and doesn’t seem like it needed any help from Hart or Regina Hall (Scary Movie). Hall and Hart are dynamite here as their antics and verbal sparring toward each other keep the laughs steady throughout the whole movie. Some may find it exhausting as they can be loud, abrasive, and slightly obnoxious, but their chemistry and timing balance that out. As the main couple, Joy Bryant ("Parenthood") and Michael Ealy (Think Like a Man, "The Good Wife") work really well together making their relationship very believable and plausible. Yes, it does get a bit predictable as you expect his character to make some bonehead moves along the way. That does happen in real life, but don't you just want the couple in a romantic comedy to just do the right things the whole way through?

Director Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine) has a strong enough cast that makes the movie work and keeps you cheering for Danny and Debbie. He and Leslye Headland have updated it to the modern era as discussions about Facebook statuses and the use of the "ignore" button on their phones come into play.  I am sure fans of the original 1986 film will be skeptical, and I have a feeling David Mamet will just ignore this one. Is it groundbreaking in the world of romantic comedies? Not really, but it certainly is better than a majority of them out there.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? Yes.  Kevin Hart is actually funny here.

RATING: ***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: RIDE ALONG

RIDE ALONG
Director: Tim Story
Starring: Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Tika Sumpter, John Leguizamo, Bryan Callen, Bruce McGill, Laurence Fishburne

We are only thirty days into the new year, so how is it that I have already seen two Kevin Hart movies? If you read my review of Grudge Match, you may remember my feelings toward his brand of comedy. Some may consider Ben Barber (Hart) a bit of a loser. He plays an interactive "shoot 'em up" type of  video game complete with headset and works as a high school security guard. He finds out he has been accepted into the police academy and could not be happier. For someone that is typically loud and obnoxious, I bet you can just imagine how excited he gets. His life could not be any better as he is planning to propose to his girlfriend Angela (Sumpter). Her brother James (Ice Cube) has other plans for Ben. He is an Atlanta police officer who is not so fond of the idea of not only him becoming a cop, but also that he may be his new brother-in-law.

James decides to put Ben to the test to see if he is worthy of marrying his sister. He decides to take Ben along on all of the annoying and petty calls that the other cops do not want to handle. Ben's high energy and fast talking nature are a bit of a defense mechanism as he is quick to act all tough and mighty but cowers when actual danger and intimidation sets in. It should come as no surprise that there is a side subplot regarding James and his crew (Leguizamo and Callen) against a gang of weapons dealers led by "Omar" whose identity remains a mystery.

The first few times I saw this trailer, I actually found it funny. I was just shocked that I was laughing at a Kevin Hart movie that I would normally not give two thoughts about. I typically do not find him funny in the slightest bit. I was up for seeing Ride Along as I thought this may break my disdain for the comedian. Could I be proven wrong about him? Was he finding his niche? Was I finally embracing the fact that he actually could be funny and that I have been completely wrong about him? His brand/style of comedy is loud, wise-ass, high pitched, high energy and typically jokes around about his short stature. He definitely plays his style in every role. Many stand-up comics do this as they transition into film. People that go to a Kevin Hart film know what kind of humor to expect, which is why I went in with slight hesitation while hoping for the best. At first, I found myself tolerating him. I enjoyed his character and felt a little bad for the guy for the continual slams against him. His style was a bit more reserved in his scenes with Tika Sumpter. I lost focus and found the annoying Hart coming out to play once the ride alongs started happening. That being said, I still had about three good laughs especially during the scene at the shooting range.

The majority of the story is pretty recycled from other comedic buddy cop type of movies. I had the same issue with last summer's The Heat, another movie with a very similar idea behind it. The whole side plot revolving the Omar character has been done numerous times. There is even the not-so-surprising twist that comes into play, which you can pick up on very early on in the movie. I really thought Ice Cube might have been a better actor as well. I am not trying to compare him to Denzel Washington, but he has been in the business long enough where this feels like an amateur performance from a newbie. His tough guy demeanor falls a bit flat. I will say it was great seeing John Leguizamo again. I feel like I have not seen him in anything outside of those Ice Age movies. Do not be surprised if we see another Ride Along in theaters within the next few years. This one seems to be doing well at the box office as Kevin Hart is a hot commodity right now. I am sure a sequel would be cheap and easy to make and the studio can probably make some extra money out of it.

RATING: * 1/2 (1.5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: GRUDGE MATCH

GRUDGE MATCH
Director: Peter Segal
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, Jon Bernthal

So let me get this straight. Instead of watching Rocky or Raging Bull, I decided to watch Grudge Match which is basically Rocky Balboa vs. Jake LaMotta with Grumpy Old Men thrown in there for some very forced laughs. In their glory days, Henry "Razor" Sharp (Stallone) and Billy "The Kid" McDonnen (De Niro) were two of the biggest boxers who battled each other for the prize title. Razor won one of the battles and Kid won the other battle. Before they could fight in the rubber match, Razor announced his retirement and a bitter feud was started between the two of them.

Thirty years pass and the guys have moved on from the sport each living their own lives in their new business ventures. Sports promoter Dante Slate Jr. (Hart) sees an opportunity he cannot pass up. He offers the former boxers $15,000 each to take part in making a video game putting the two rivals together. Razor only agrees if he does not have to face Kid while filming. What would the movie be if that actually happened. Kid shows up to the filming earlier than expected and antagonizes Razor for old time's sake. Punches are thrown and their idiotic reunion is all captured by the production crew who all instantly put it online. The video goes viral and becomes a HUGE HIT! Offers come rolling in for an actual grudge match putting these two rivals back in the ring for the first time in decades. They are both past their prime physically so Razor hires his old trainer (Arkin) and Kid asks his son (Bernthal) to get him back in shape. Razor's old flame Sally (Basinger) shows up and complicates things a bit further.

Let me just reiterate that there are three Oscar winners, one nominee, and Kevin Hart that all agreed to be in this movie. Now I expect Kevin Hart to do this type of movie. The role is very much his style and brand of comedy. He has a few other movies coming out soon where he plays similar types of roles. Do I expect a little more from De Niro, Stallone, Arkin, and Basinger? Yes. That is not to say that they should only be doing heavy material. There is something so cheesy and gimmicky about this reunion premise. There is no hiding the fact it's a Rocky vs Raging Bull story. I am just surprised someone had the audacity to even pitch them this premise. De Niro and Stallone have both starred together in 1997's Cop Land, which was pretty good if memory serves correctly. I probably would not even have that big of a problem with the film if it was written better. The script goes from trying so hard to pump out the laughs that it is working in overdrive trying to make sure Alan Arkin's lines end in a punchline. Other times, it gets so lazy that any sort of twist or slightly dramatic moment is purely recycled from other movies that we have seen before, some of them you see coming a mile away. Kim Basinger has some pretty doozy lines that were laughable for the wrong reasons.

I do not know if it would have worked as a serious drama or if comedy was the better route to take. Since this is a reunion type of movie, they could have spent more time focusing on the past instead of treating it like a gimmick and joke. There are fun shots of a young Stallone and De Niro, but I think we could have used more of that. Maybe some cameos or supporting characters for Talia Shire or Cathy Moriarty? I think Jon Bernthal is the best part of the movie. There was something sweet about the son story line for Kid. I actually think the film had potential. There would be a good moment or scene where I was thinking that the film was picking up in quality and then it took three steps back. I just do not know what the point of the movie was. Was it the pure marketing ploy of putting two actors from legendary boxing movies back in the ring? If that was the sole reason, then I guess they succeeded. I think it is best to just go pop in the blu-rays of Rocky and Raging Bull and give them a fresh watch.

RATING: ** (2 out of 5 stars)