If Ride Along proved anything, it’s that throwing Kevin Hart on a movie screen does not guarantee worthwhile entertainment. And while it’s hard to argue that Kevin Hart is Hollywood’s reigning king of comedy, even his antics can get stale after an hour and a half. That is, if you don’t focus the entire story and film around said antics. Enter About Last Night.
The film is a remake of the 1986 film by the same name that included Rob Lowe, Jim Belushi, and Demi Moore in the starring roles. Just like the original, it follows a year in the love lives of two sets of friends. Only this time, the major characters are African American and reside in Los Angeles instead of Chicago. The character names, personalities, and major events of the two films are all pretty much the same. But I know you haven’t seen the original, so let’s explain it anyway.
While on a double date with his fun loving best friend, Bernie (Kevin Hart… duh), recently dumped Danny (Michael Ealy) is introduced to Debbie (Joy Bryant), roommate and best fried of Bernie’s new fling, Joan (Regina Hall). The relationship that evolves from a one night stand between Danny and Debbie is the focal point, but there’s nothing they do or go through that you won’t see in every other romantic comedy. Pig headed fights, irresponsibility, the inevitable return of the ex (Paula Patton in a fairly comedic cameo)… yeah, it’s all that jazz.
But obviously, whether they’ll end up together (c’mon… you know they will) isn’t what makes the movie worth viewing (Unless you are swooning over Ealy or Bryant’s physical attractiveness… which is perfectly reasonable). And believe it or not, Kevin Hart’s presence isn’t quite the winning factor either. It’s actually his partnering with Regina Hall that manages to make this movie comedic gold. They’ve got fantastic onscreen chemistry from start to finish. Her ability to hold her own opposite Hart should come as no surprise as Hall got her start in comedic roles with the Wayans Brothers in Scary Movies 1, 2, and 3 (Ya know… the watchable ones). Romantic comedies may be a dime in a dozen, but anytime you can combine two solid comedic performers, you can set yourself apart from the rest.
FINAL GRADE: B+
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