Summary:
When Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart) loses his job as a barbecue grill salesman, he begins a search to find a high-paying job to keep up with his lavish lifestyle and impress his new fiancée. Forced to go to night school to get his G.E.D., Teddy sets out to finish high school with his classmates and the help of his teacher, Carrie (Tiffany Haddish).
Writing:
I did not expect much when I went to see this movie. I did expect Kevin Hart and his team of writers to be able to create a simple, cohesive storyline. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Much of the humor in Kevin Hart’s material comes from his dramatic responses to fairly ordinary problems, and “Night School” sticks to that mold. However, there are many jokes that are set up in the beginning of the movie that go virtually untouched. For instance, at the start of the movie, Teddy and his family have a conversation over dinner about how he needs to spell his full name, “Theodore,” on tests, or it will be incorrect. Then, when he takes a test at the end of the film, he writes “Teddy,” and it is, in fact, not marked incorrect. This was a joke that had around five minutes of build up, but was never used. Of course, this mistake could have happened because of post-production and editing rather than writing, but it is up to everyone involved to catch and tie up loose ends.
Acting:
If you like Kevin Hart, his acting is the only reason why you watch his movies — not the directing, the other actors, or even the storyline. And if you liked his previous work, “Night School” would be just as funny to you.
In such a mediocre movie, I would like to mention the one actor who actually made me laugh: Rob Riggle. Riggle’s wide-eyed, man-baby character took the brunt of the funniest jokes in the film, which just goes to show that Riggle maintains his reputation as one of the funniest supporting characters in comedy.
Rating: 4/10
Honestly, I don’t know why I bother watching Kevin Hart movies.
Recommendations:
“Stepbrothers” (2008) and “The Hangover” (2009). Both have the slapstick humor that “Night School” was trying to accomplish… and Rob Riggle.
