Full of tired ethnic and slapstick jokes and pedestrian direction, the third Friday film, Friday After Next (the titles are really getting absurd now, aren't they?) is lifeless and a step back for Ice Cube as he continues to insist milking a once promising franchise until the well runs dry. Audiences can only hope that there isn't another film in this series. What would the title be? "The 2nd Friday After Next"? Of course, the film stars Ice Cube (who also scripted) and Mike Epps and is directed by Marcus Raboy who makes his debut with the film.
The plot of the third Friday film follows the further adventures of Craig and Day Day as they are hired as security guards at the local mall. They have also finally moved out of their parent's house and into their own place, making both them and their parents happy. Imagine their anger when their new living quarters is robbed on Christmas Eve. They then team up to hunt down the culprit or culprits.
Quite a force in Hollywood, especially after the rather surprising success of Barbershop, Ice Cube still insists on hiring only rookie directors for each and every one of his films. He states that they have fresh ideas and are open to new ideas more so than an established director would most certainly be. Unfortunately for him, most new directors usually lack the experience necessary to put their own personal imprint on the film and the film ends up rather generic except in the rare case of a director such as Christopher Nolan who, in his second film Memento, made a unique looking film. Director Marcus Raboy falls into the former category as he turns out a lifeless comedy that isn't helped by the worst script so far in the series of films.
The look of the film comes across looking like an extended sitcom episode with a multitude of steadicam shots and the occasional shaky camera movement that is so common in the debut films of many of today's directors. Raboy must have thought it to be artsy and flamboyant but in a comedy such as this it is totally unnecessary. The director also struggles in pacing the film as it comes across as too slow until the end of the film when it suddenly attempts to become a sort of action comedy in the vein of countless other films such as Ice Cube's last R rated film, All About the Benjamins. The Friday series has always been more about comedy than action so as to why the film deviates from the successful formula I have no idea. The script is a juvenile mix of the jokes seemingly leftover from the last Friday film but weren't used because they are so dreadfully unfunny. Actors Ice Cube and Mike Epps are slumming in their respective roles because they know that the film will be a success just based on the publicly well-received two prior films.The only thing the film has going for it is a hilarious turn once again by John Witherspoon as the boys' clueless father. His performance makes for the only delightful aspect of a needless film in a franchise that should be put to rest soon because it has overstayed its welcome.
Rating: 70
joe@currentlyplaying.com
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