Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish star in the comedy “Night School.” Courtesy of Universal Pictures
By Bryce Lawson
In his newest comedy, Kevin Hart goes back to night school as Teddy Walker with the hope of wooing the girl of his dreams.
Carrie (Tiffany Haddish) and Mackenzie (Rob Riggle) couldn’t help this film get a passing grade. The chemistry between Hart and Haddish never reaches its full potential.
For every good joke, there are 15 others that fail miserably. All of the characters are idiots and at times actually call themselves dumb.
I am not a Kevin Hart fan. His repertoire of comedy that focuses on his height runs its course after the third leprechaun joke. Director Malcolm D. Lee does nothing spectacular with the camera to keep the audience invested.
The only saving grace for the film is Romany Malco. Best known for his performance in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” Malco steals the show as Jaylen, a fellow classmate of Hart’s.
About halfway through the film I was ready to leave. I reached the point where you start to think “All right, end here,” but the movie just kept on going.
Unfortunately, with Hart’s name tied to the film, it will probably be No. 1 at the box office this week. Hollywood needs to take more risks with its comedies. Instead of putting idiotic characters in situations that highlight their stupidity, comedies should focus on real life situations.
Definitely don’t waste your money going to see “Night School” this weekend. Instead, watch a more realistic comedy like “Lady Bird” or “Frances Ha.”
1/5 stars
