Next Friday Movie Review

I usually don’t like sequels. The mind-numbing rehash of characters; the bad puns that related to subject matter from the original film; the vain attempt at trying to create something “new and fresh” that turns into an overstuffed turkey and usually follows the same blueprint. I mean, who the hell gave the OK for such films as The Crow 2 and Universal Solider: The Return. Only a few films, which I can probably count on my right hand, have equaled or surpassed the original -- The Empire Strikes Back, Godfather II. When I walked into Next Friday, I must admit I carried this feeling in with me. When I walked out, I wasn't surprised by my reaction to the film.

Let me make one thing clear before I proceed. I loved the original Friday. The inner city setting gave such a rich backdrop to a wonderful ensemble of interesting and colorful characters. The interactions of these characters let the film breathe life back into the territory previously covered by the Hughes Brothers and John Singleton, and then ridiculed by the Wayans Clan. The film also introduced the directing debut of F. Gary Gray and the acting debut of Chris Tucker. Ice Cube, one of the original writers and producers of Friday, tries to recapture the innocence and originality of the previous film but ends up failing by not producing the same even-flow of character interaction and storyline so prevalent in the original.

I like Ice Cube. He holds responsibilities as music and film producer, a musician, and a screenwriter and director under his belt. He is politically outspoken and waves a mighty fist at the establishment. I enjoy his acting and his music and even found Players Club to be a well-done piece of filmmaking. But Next Friday only highlights his acting abilities and not his writing talent, which he is credited for with the screenplay of the film.

The first forty or so minutes of the film try to capture the fun and honesty of the original and succeed in producing some memorable moments. But the second half of the film changes gears and becomes some serious drama with guns waving and a dog high off pot brownies. The second half pulls the film down under the gravity of certain situations and the audience is left feeling somewhat confused by what attitude should be towards the actions of Cube and Co. I mean, is Cube trying to say that breaking into a drug dealer's house and committing a robbery is a good thing?

The main problem with the film is the sidekick of Cube, played by Mark Epps. His character Day-Day is introduced as a bumbling big-talker but ends up being a whining sissy who finds enjoy being harassed by a pregnant ex-girlfriend and her large sister, Baby D. The subplots of an old nemesis from the original, played by Tom “Tiny” Lister (Zeus to all of us old WWF fans), and a bumbling romance between Cube and a next-door neighbor woman are pointless and trite.

If you are a fan of the original Friday, wait for the video of this latest installment in this series. Let’s just hope there's not Another Friday in the works as I write this. [Doh!]



Smokin'.