The performance of Bill Bellamy was buttressed by that of his character's sister played by Natalie Desselle and the on-screen charm of Mari Morrow. Features lots of notable models and magnetic beautiful women from the 90's we love seeing like Lark Voorhies, Beverly Johnson, or Elise Neal. The target male audience seems to take strong favor to the film, although the original reception of this movie may have been skewed because of the fandom of Bellamy and his notoriety as a VJ and Def Jam Comedian. Females may be very turned off by the lack of depth and character development exhibited by the main character, Dray.
Ultimately a lot of the shock value of seeing these beautiful women fight over the main character faded by the climaxing scene of the party where Jenny sought to get her "pimp" brother caught. Should we categorize Dray as a sympathetic character, no. Nevertheless, Dray's presentation as a central protagonist contrasts Jenny who is positioned as the primary antagonist. A lot of female viewers likely appreciated the Jenny's combative attitude toward Dray. However, it failed to drive the resolution, and the viewers may have been left unsatisfied with the final scenes of the story.
Given the young, yet mature adult age of the starring cast and setting (Malibu) Jenny's motives of setting her brother up seem misguided and juvenile. Jenny's torment of Dray for mocking her about an unrequited love seems hypocritical and a bit overblown, even for the trademark histrionic performances of Natalie Desselle which made her so lovable on screen. *(in loving memory of Natalie Desselle)*
Script should be better; this is a Def Jam production! After all.
The quality of acting exceeded the bare bones writing though. The comedic set ups were good. Not exceptional. The catfight with David's girl and mistress entertained me the most.
By the second half of this film, its hard to follow the logic of many of the characters. If Loose ends like Bernie Mac's cameo and Jenny's sweet revenge were better integrated by directors, more of the plot would make sense. In such, my rating leverages the drastically different viewing experience of the female and male audience, my own lingering appetite for stronger punchlines, and more cohesive cinematic setup. This unique film offers a lot of 90's nostalgia but lacks the depth and that other ensemble cast comedies of its time were able to achieve.
David, played by Pierre Edwards was a solid supporting character, just like Katrina played by Mari Morrow.
If Def Jam can get this onto Hulu or backed by a major streaming provider, no doubt the young men aged 18-30 would likely love it just as the men of the 90's did. The acting charm of Bill Bellamy, Mari Morrow, Natalie Ann Desselle Reid, and even Gilbert Gottfried makes the watch worth it.
