Kevin Hart and Romany Malco
Kevin Hart’s latest box office topping comedy is a sore disappointment to this critic. Hart’s terrific in the Real Husbands of Hollywood and in other TV and film projects but despite his boundless energy and willingness to play the fool, this sequel is so low energy it hurts. Set in familiar film territory on familiar life events – Las Vegas bachelor party / wedding – and starring some fine comic talent, the films devolves fast. Hart’s efforts are lost in the hollow tin can that is the film.
So a bridal party lands in Vegas, the best man, Hart, who was picked by sad accident while the responsible one hangs back, proceeds to railroad any chance for fun. For instance, he has booked a $40k per night room, not a $4k. I mean come on. The girls are suffering their own private hell under the watchful glare of the groom’s mother (Lewis) who doesn’t approve of the bride to be and mouths off at every chance. Lots of tension, not much fun. Like the movie.
And considering the “life event” ness of the film, there’s plenty of potential for fun, adventure, games, acting out and assorted craziness, it’s a paint-by-numbers exercise in exhaustion. There isn’t an authentic note in the entire sorry story. The characters are neutered and stereotypical to an aggravating degree. They either don’t have any backbone or they have too much, and there isn’t any recognisable human reality in these 106 minutes.
Trying to get some nub of meaning throughout the run of the thing is tiring. Just as it looks like something authentic might happen, some overstuffed, overfluffed crazy kicks it out into left field. And the crazy isn’t especially funny. Veering between overdone and underdone, its good ideas are lost.
The cast of heavy hitters with, for instance, Regina Hall, Romany Malco, Taraji P. Henson, Jenifer Lewis, Terrence Jenkins, Gabrielle Union et al have little to work with and George Wallace is given nothing to do but look pretty as a croupier and Kelsey Grammer has just a millisecond of privileged threat.
So I really like Kevin Hart and the rest of the cast, but this film just doesn’t do anyone or anything any justice. It’s not as much fun as the original.
Think Like a Man Too
In theatres now
Runtime: 106 minutes
MPAA: PG
Country: USA
Language: English
Rating 2/5