Next Friday

I usually hate sequels. To tell you the truth, I didn't think that the first Friday was all that it was made out to be. I liked it, but I didn't think that a sequel to a movie like that would work out. I think that it was pulled off very nicely, though. I liked the fact that even though the first movie came out 5 years ago, the key cast members were still there, and nothing had changed in them.

Next Friday is, of course, the sequel to the stoner hit "Friday." It picks up pretty much where Friday left off. Debo, the guy that Craig beat up in the first movie, has recently escaped from prison and is back with a vengeance. Craig's dad decides to send Craig to the suburbs where he can live with his uncle Elroy, who had just won the lottery. Elroy's son, Day-Day, is an interesting character. He has a restraining order on an ex-girlfriend, and also has neighbors who he prefers not to associate with. He's constantly paranoid and kind of wimpy-acting.

The acting in Next Friday is just as good as in the original. Justin Pierce (who played Casper in the critically acclaimed "Kids"), has a big job playing the only white guy in the movie. Roach was kind of a goofy character who got caught up in what Day-Day and Craig were doing and seemed to be along for the ride, since he recently lost his job. There are no laugh-out-loud characters in this movie like Chris Tucker in the original. And Debo has a little sidekick that basically was just there for no purpose whatsoever, but there is an old Korean woman living next door to Elroy and Day-Day, who acts ghetto and provides a little comedic performance for about 3 minutes.

The whole feel of the movie was the same as Friday, just the straight slapstick kind of comedy and performances. Most people say that it wasn't as good as the original, but I would probably rate them about the same. If you're looking for sheer entertainment that you don't have to concentrate on, this movie's for you. The plot's way too thin to have to pay attention to. Watch it drunk, stoned, tripping, straight....I even watched it with my dad. It's so silly that you can't help but laugh, and once a movie catches a laugh it doesn't seem to be so bad.

This movie's no "Don't Be A Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood," but it is funny, vulgar, juvenile, and good for a few laughs. I'm sort of glad that I didn't see it in the theater, because it wasn't that attention-grabbing, but it's definitely worth the price of a rental.