About Last NIght

About Last Night

Rated R and Released 2/14/14 in Grand Rapids

Reviewed 2/18/14 at Celebration North in Grand Rapids, MI

with Cindy

1 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

Cindy and I both thought if you could just watch the last 20 minutes of this movie you might actually laugh and enjoy it without cringing. The first 80 minutes we winced at the over the top raunch and language and if they would have cleaned it up, even a bit, it would have been a much-improved film. Kevin Hart, who plays Bernie in this remake of the 1980s About Last Night, can be hilarious, but it's disappointing and unnecessary with all the excessiveness. In the original Bernie was played by funny guy Jim Belushi and Danny was played by Rob Lowe. And who could forget Demi Moore as Danny's love interest Debbie!?

The two friends, Bernie (Hart) and Danny (Micheal Early), hook up with two best friends and roommates. That has trouble written all over it. Debbie (Joy Bryant) meets Danny when she tags along with her friend Joan (Regina Hall) who is seeing Bennie. Serious Debbie and good-guy Danny are darling and begin dating, which at first seems rather slow, but they jump right in and have some real chemistry. While the other two, raw-tongued Bernie and salty Joan, are combative and perverse at every turn. The new couple eventually moves in with each other even as Bernie and Joan plead with them not to, giving every reason in the book. They sabotage the relationship at every turn almost unintentionally, but they are the ones that actually break up first. After that Bernie and Joan's confrontations are pretty comical. The ups and downs of relationships leading to breakups can make for some good story lines. They can make you laugh and get teary and About Last Night had a legitimate nice ending with some of that. Cindy and I contemplated leaving about half way through and we would have missed the best part. But was sitting through the rest of it worth it? Probably not.

QUIET Rating system: 1 1/2 Js

Quality: Jj

Understood story:  JJ

Interest: JJ

Entertainment:  Jj

Time:  Jj