Friday After Next

Having been a fan of the first Friday, my expectations for the second one weren't exactly high [no pun intended], given the fact that Chris Tucker wasn't in it. But it turned out to be an okay movie. I also noticed the direction it took the franchise to -- low brow humor. The first had a little bit of it, but the second one seemed like it just wanted to gross you out with its sick humor and poop jokes.

You won't find much difference in this Friday. Turning the series on its ear and giving it a fresh new spin with the Christmas theme seemed like an intriguing idea. Did it work? Hells yeah. With the uncontrollable Mike Epps once again playing the crazy sidekick to Cube's Craig, Chris Tucker seems like a distant memory. Out goes the semi-seriousness of the first one about the reality of the hood, and in comes the all out craziness that solidified the second. The only memorable characters in this one are Money Mike and Damon. If you're a fan of the series, by all means, rent it.

By the end of the movie, you'll ponder if this was the best way to close out the trilogy. Was it as funny as they could make it? Memorable? With a stronger script and more reigned-in performances, it could have been. Average at best. But let's hope Cube ends it here.

When I first saw Friday After Next, I was not impressed with the storyline. I thought that it was a bad attempt at a sequel...that is until I watched it on DVD (someone else bought it). I was then able to slowly enjoy the quick-wit of Day-Day and Craig's distorted yet loving relationship. But the character that stole the entire movie was the "lucky charm midget pimp" Money Mike. His presence on the screen was side-splitting funny! I believe that without Money Mike, Friday After Next would have been just another mediocre attempt at comedy.

My favorite part in the movie was when Money Mike said:

"Speaking of cockroaches, where were your antennas when them ****** were stealing my ****?" "I didn't see them steal anything" "Well, use your eyes next time. Look. They ain't just supposed to be hazel, they supposed to do some god**** work around here. I don't do this for play. I don't do this for fun." "I'm sorry" "Don't be sorry, hoe, be careful. Lord Jesus....you know what? I am tired of your presence. Dismissed!"

Seriously, people, where's your sense of humor? Again I thought that Friday After Next turned out to be a great film that had a lot of really funny humor that nearly had me rolling on the floors laughing. Ice Cube did a great job with these stories and made it a Lord of the Rings of the hood type of trilogy. I loved Friday After Next, the story rocked and the actors were back and it looked like they had a great time performing together again. I know that this movie is so stereotypical, but it was all in good fun, you know?

Craig and Day Day have jobs as security men in a strip mall and they find themselves being tormented by their land lady for the rent money. When Day Day abuses his power of security and has men go after him for throwing their grandmothers off the corner, he and Craig are fired. They decide to throw a party to pay the rent money by charging party fees and Craig does fall for another woman, but she's a bit harder to get than the others.

I loved the pimp and Damon's characters, they were just so funny, especially coming out of the party with Damon's partners in a clamp! You'll have to watch the movie to see what I mean. I highly recommend Friday After Next to anyone, it's a great movie that I honestly had a good time laughing with and I am not ashamed to admit that, I don't get the low rating, because this was a fun movie. Please, don't judge so harshly, you'll find yourself loving every joke better and better.

7/10

This movie was not good at all. I liked the first two movies but I can not say the same for the last one. I think Cube and Epps are a great team on film but this movie was so bad I don't think anything could have saved it. The movie was pointless! I laughed two or three times at the most and most of what I did laugh at I had seen in the trailers. The best part was when Epps character was yelling at the old women in front of the liquor store. Cube is not funny at all and the movie was the same as the other two. It was about Craig and Day-Day trying to get money they owed before an overly large man beat them up. Even Craigs' dad who I think is the funniest character was not funny at all. I know people who liked the first two movies will see this regardless, but if you are just going to see it because you think it looks funny don't.

The third movie in Ice Cube's "Friday" series, this was the funniest of the three so far. The film takes place on Christmas Eve (on a Friday of course). Craig Jones and his cousin Day-Day have been robbed by someone going around dressed like Santa Claus and have all their gifts and rent money stolen (and their recreational drugs confiscated by the cops). It puts a damper on the day, where they have new jobs as mall security officers. So we see them through their day, wondering if they'll get their revenge on the burglar and seeing the hilariously overdone sterotypes in the film.

Most of the characters from the first two film and their idiosyncrancies are back, like Craig's father and his bladder problems. There's also Maz Jobrani's Moly, playing a stereotypical Asian character whose broken English was a gas! Probably even more hilarious is the sheer sight of Katt Williams' Money Mike who plays someone that is a cross between Snoop Dogg and Spike Lee. Also, I just loved the wardrobe; I'd love to get a pimptastic suit. Ice Cube is good here, as he plays the only normal character in a world full of crazy people; I could feel for him. The acting was overdone, but it was done like this on purpose and so I could accept it, besides, the dialogue was funny. Ice Cube has a superb sense of humour. It's only about 82 minutes, so it doesn't overstay its welcome, either.

And once again, Craig proves you don't have to be overly handsome to get the ladies. Very good comedy!