I wanted Kevin Hart – What Now? to be great, but to my surprise and disappointment, I spent very little time laughing. In trying to figure out why, I’ve reached the conclusion that as someone who’s been a fan of Kevin Hart’s comedy since the days of his earlier standup specials; I’m a Grown Little Man (2009), Seriously Funny (2010) and Laugh at My Pain (2011), I’m at the stage now where I find myself overly familiar with a lot of his jokes. Particularly the ones that reference his father, children, height and the way his vertically challenged status makes him far from a hero whenever his physical wellbeing is threatened. Even though in Kevin Hart – What Now? Hart talks about a few other things including his then fiancé (now wife), I found myself reminiscing about his earlier work. It’s possible that part of the problem is, like any comedy film that could have been better, many of the good jokes and punchlines were heard and laughed at during the  promotional phase.

Hart’s use of digital visual aids to help paint a picture for the audience as he delivered his jokes is a refreshing addition to his routine. Unfortunately though,  I found it mostly distracting. I went in hoping for new jokes that didn’t rely too much on all the traits I already knew about Hart’s comedy persona/ topics, but it wasn’t to be. I guess things can get stale when you and those close to you are the main source material instead of new and potentially more interesting topics. I.e., what’s happening in the wider world.

Besides the less than expected number of jokes I did laugh at, what I enjoyed most of all was the fifteen minute intro to the main event. Kevin Hart, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, David Meunier and Ed Helms made it fun and funny. Watch Kevin Hart – What Now? if you’re curious enough and / or you’re a very serious Hart fan. I still love Hart. I just much prefer his earlier work.

Happy Film Loving

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