From here? This is the question I ask myself when I watch remakes and remakes of old movies. Whether I like them or not, I always ask why. Why was it started again? Why was it repaired? And then I look for details about the film that helps it stand its ground. I didn't get the answers to these questions while reloading Calmatic's House Party .
As one of my favorite movies as a kid, I think about the things I loved about the 1990s version of House Party . It was not only fun, but also smart, with subtle yet effective social commentary. The 2023 version, written by Jamal Olori and Stephen Glover, is just a slapstick comedy with flimsy characters and a narrative so obscure that I often forgot I was watching.
The film takes place in Los Angeles and tells the story of childhood friends Kevin (Jacob Latimore) and Damon (Tosin Cole) who decide to throw the biggest party in town. From the beginning, the goal is to gain fame and make money. Kevin is a music producer and single father who lives with his parents. Damon is a slacker/bum who lives with his aunt and has no real goals other than making money, getting girls and bowing to the gram (Instagram demo). He is a party planner who is hunted by a group of three violent savages called the Young Threats (played by Allen Maldonado, Melvin Gregg and Rotimi) who want Damon to steal something.
Kevin and Damon work for a cleaning company, from which they are immediately fired for being reckless and smoking weed on the job. Now unemployed and broke, they decide to investigate the house they're cleaning, only to find themselves in the home of famous basketball player LeBron James (his production company, SpringHill Entertainment, turns out to be the film's producer). Against the law or common sense, these two idiots had the brilliant idea to throw a house party here. You gain access to his personal contacts and start dating friends and celebrities in hopes of earning enough money to lift them out of poverty and make them the biggest party planners in town, all the while avoiding getting arrested or killed in the process to become.
Combining aspects of social media, power-hunting culture and old-school music in the revamped feature adds no twist, depth or perspective to the reboot. What separates the 2023 version from the 1990 version, which featured hip-hop artists Christopher "Kid" Martin and Christopher "Play" Reid, is intelligence. The heroes of Kid and Play danced and had fun, talked to girls and came from middle-class families. It's all about getting home before bed, avoiding the neighborhood bullies, and throwing in subtle social commentary about police brutality and class. However, in Glover and Olora's script, willful ignorance is rewarded and celebrated as the lead duo cajole each other into making decisions that will literally ruin their lives.
there are funny moments
Kid Cudi and writer Lena Waite, but House Party 's over-reliance on celebrities, social media influencers and key scenes from the 1990 film hamper the story even more. It's filled with overused comedy gags that don't elicit a response, the cast lacks chemistry, and viewers can see every plot point miles ahead.
You see, rebooting or redoing something isn't a problem, but since it's a popular title among millennials and Gen Xers, it's not the best indicator to use nostalgia for. Does anyone need to reboot the franchise to find out what substance is added to make the reboot stand out from the first one? How does this release complement the existing material? Social media may not be the only thing that defines this generation. There must be something else.
It may not be true, but I was delighted. Kalmatic is a great storyteller and his music videos are top notch. SpringHill has a particular interest in content for people of color and for people of color, especially black people.
Both will go gold one day, but not with House Party 2023.