35 and Ticking

This is kinda like a low budget version of Think Like a Man. Maybe not as funny or polished but this is one of the better executed low budget black films I have seen to date. While most Black straight to DVD/TV movies suffer from poor production quality and bad acting, this one was surprisingly well made. Kevin Hart was not as over the top as he was in Think Like a Man but he still was very funny. All round good acting but I'd say my biggest problem is the chemistry of the "four friends". I can't put my finger on it but it just didn't feel believable that these four were best buddies. I'm shocked nobody tried to market this one better as a theatrical release. I never even heard of this movie until I was digging through IMDb for movies I haven't seen. If you are a fan of the genre is should definitely be on your to see list.

I really liked this movie. It was a refreshing surprise. Funny and heart wrenching. There was one problem. The movie begins in 1983. The characters look to be between 10 and 12. If they are 35-37 in 2011, then their childhood characters were too old. They would have only been about 7 or 8 in 1983 (how I was). Aside from that, I thought it was a funny and refreshing film that didn't treat any gender like they were the bad guys. I liked that the characters were also likable and caring people and the comedy was great. I would've given it a 10 out of 10, it it had had a better ending. There was also one scene that was COMPLETELY unbelievable (I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but it involves two characters and the reproductive center). I enjoyed the comedy and it was heart wrenching to see how one character had been hurt. Still a nice movie. My hubby loved it - and he doesn't go for those kinds of movies.

I came across this film at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival and knew nothing of the director. I was expecting a typical urban comedy in the style of "Soul Plane" or "Booty Call", and was happily surprised that it was more intelligent and well crafted. It that respect, it reminded me more of "Soul Food". The main characters in "35 and Ticking" are well developed and believable. The humor kept me laughing for most of the film. It avoids the raunchy quality of other recent comedies.

On the downside, the ending wraps up a little too neatly for my tastes. Director Russ Parr could have left some details for the audience to fill in, rather than fixing every loose end.

Granted this movie is not a smash hit, but if your home with your loved one, its great to watch on a "movie night". I found the story line to be a bit predictable and somewhat slow at time but, I found there was enough to still enjoy this comedy. The cast is rich with funny people like Mike Epps, and Kevin Hart and talented actresses like Nicole Parker. Its hard to go wrong with such talent (Megan Good comes to mind). I think this level of talent really picks up a story line that might be a little dry. Watching the development of this movie is a little slow but as time goes on it starts to pick up and do just fine. I think it helps if you sit down with your girlfriend or boyfriend husband or wife and grab some popcorn and enjoy this movie. You wont be disappointed

The only reason I decided to watch the movie is because it had a cast of credible actors. It had a pretty good story line and I laughed more than I expected during the movie. Kevin Hart is hilarious always and Epps was funny too. The only disappointing part is that I think the movie could of been so much better if it had a bigger budget for production. Storyline was OK but the comedy made it not a big issue for me. This was by far a better movie than Jumping The Broom with less than half the budget. The wife and I enjoyed this movie and would recommend to folks looking to stay in and watch a movie on a Friday or Saturday night.