Jumanji – The Next Level (2019), Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black
Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Jack Black return for Jumanji – The Next Level, a sequel to 2017’s rather popular Jumanji – Welcome To The Jungle.
Directed by Jake Kasdan, this time when the friends are back in Jumanji, the team realise that things are quite different within the world’s most dangerous game…
This looks as though it’ll be fun. I like the twist and look forward to more of Hart speaking like Danny Glover.
Madison Iseman, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Colin Hanks, Alex Wolff, Nick Jonas, Danny Glover, Ser’Darius Blain and Rhys Darby also star.
TRight away, I want to confirm that The Intouchables (2011), the French film on which The Upsideis based is absolutely better than this remake starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman.
Centred around the friendship that emerges between a wealthy paraplegic and an unemployed man with a criminal record who’s hired to help him, The Upside isn’t an exact copy of The Intouchables. There are some scenes that are very much the same. There are also a few more characters that were added; mainly the one played very well by Aja Naomi King.
I found that the best parts in director Neil Burger’s movie are the moments that weren’t too close to exact copies of scenes from the original. The original scenes always came out on top in my mind.
As for the performances, King was great in her role. Cranston, his super comic timing and Kidman are also undoubtedly very talented actors. Yet, even with all this seasoned talent, there’s no saving this movie from itself. It’s missing that special spark, all-round chemistry and flow that the original has. I enjoyed some of the comic moments between Cranston and Hart’s characters (especially during the birthday pary) but since The Upside is Hart’s first dramatic role, there’s definitely room for him to grow – and I look forward to seeing that progression in future performances.
On summary, watch The Upside if you really want to see for yourself how different it is from The Intouchables. Otherwise, it’s probably better to watch other great works by the talented cast.
The Upside is a remake of French film The Intouchables (2011), the story of the relationship between a wealthy paraplegic and an unemployed man with a criminal record who’s hired to help him.
Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart and Nicole Kidman star while Neil Burger directs…
There’s no denying it, The Intouchables is a great movie and could have done without a remake. At the same time though, I think I may actually have fun seeing how different this remake is to the original. I could also be wrong about that last statement but I don’t mind finding out. Furthermore, I want to see what comedian Kevin Hart can do in a more dramatic role.
Julianna Margulies, Golshifteh Farahani, Tate Donovan and Aja Naomi King also star.
Jumanji (2017), Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Kevin Hart
Starring Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Karen Gillan, I found Jumanji – Welcome To The jungle to be OK. It’s just the kind of silly fun that kids will likely love most. It’s well modernised and there were some amusing moments, especially courtesy of Jack Black’s portrayal of a teenage girl and Kevin Hart’s one-liners.
The reason that Jumanji is OK and not great is because by the end, I felt as though something was missing from the movie. Perhaps it’s substance, heart, character development or a mixture and then some, but for me, the amusing and clever moments aside, something is definitely missing at the very core. It doesn’t help that I wasn’t wholly convinced of Nick Jonas’s acting skills.
As I watched the film, the jungle setting did have me reminiscing about how much fun I had while watching Kong Skull Island (2017). Overall, I say watch Jumanji –Welcome To The Jungle if you’re curious enough. It may just be the kind of silly fun you need.
Night School (2018), Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Taran Killam
In new comedy Night School, Kevin Hart plays a member of a group of grown up troublemakers who are forced to attend night school in hopes that they’ll pass the GED exam to finish high school.
Tiffany Haddish, Taran Killam and Mary Lynn Rajskub also star…
I’m giving this one a chance in hopes that I’ll be plenty amused. Director of The Best Man (1999) and The Best Man Holiday (2013), Michael D. Lee is in charge. So the hope is very much alive.
Additional cast includes Keith David, Ben Schwartz, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Bresha Webb and Jacob Batalon.
Captain Underpants – The First Epic Movie (2017), Kevin Hart (George), Thomas Middleditch (Harold)
In Captain Underpants – The First Epic Movie, Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch are the voices of two mischievous elementary school kids. Directed by David Soren and based on the popular books by Dave Pilkey, the two very naughty fourth graders hypnotise their principal into becoming their comic book creation, Captain Underpants…
I’m intrigued enough to see it. The only question is how distracting it will be that Kevin Hart is voicing a fourth grader and he sounds exactly as his real life adult self.
Nick Kroll, Jordan Peele and Kristen Schaal also star.
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.
Kevin Hart – What Now? (2016), Ed Helms, Halle Berry
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.
