(Photo Credit: Universal Pictures)
Getting Better With Time
Comedian/actor Kevin Hart owns Hollywood.
His concert films are classics.
And his movies are blockbusters.
So, what now for the undisputed king of comedy?
The answer is the concert film, “What Now?” which is by far his best to date, proving the best is yet to come for someone who is arguably the funniest cat in the game.
“What Now?” follows the script of Hart’s previous concert films like “Let Me Explain” and “Laugh at My Pain.”
The comedian can bring all races, religions and backgrounds together by using his own experiences, good and bad, to make his fans fall out in hysterics.
While some of his predecessors like Chris Rock and D.L. Hughley have more important comedy material because of the political and social issues they address, none of them are funnier than the non-controversial Hart.
Similar to “Let Me Explain,” the film “What Now?” starts off with a skit, which leads into the live performance at Lincoln Financial Field in his hometown of Philadelphia.
In the skit, some of his friends in the industry like Halle Berry, Don Cheadle and Ed Helms join him as he competes in a million dollar poker game in true James Bond mode.
Hart even has an alias, which is Agent 0054 (a shout out to his short stature).
When he wins, he still has to compete to get out of the situation alive as his opponents grapple with the reality that they have lost millions.
In order to escape with the money, which he uses to fund his “What Now?” tour, Hart channels his inner Denzel Washington in “The Equalizer” to escape alive and with his poker profits.
When he finally escapes and makes it to the stage, he is electric as expected.
The only thing that does not go his way is his attempt to kiss Halle Berry.
No one can blame the brother for trying though.
And no one can blame the brother for realizing the biggest stages are his playground.
In “What Now?” Hart makes everyone in his family the brunt of his jokes.
His father, who provides much of his inspiration, cannot pronounce Siri. Hart buys his dad an iPhone 6, but he insists on calling the artificial intelligence component of the phone Cyrus, wondering why he will not wake up and answer him.
Hart’s son thinks he is White with long hair just because his private school friends are White with long hair.
Hart’s son shakes his “hair” out of his eyes, even though his hair is as short as his father’s hair.
The Philadelphia native has moved to the suburbs of Los Angeles but is afraid to take out the trash because he has no lights in his long driveway and he is afraid of the animals, especially a thuggish raccoon that is always threatening him.
But his biggest problem is convincing his then fiancé that he is not cheating when he fails to come home at night.
When he knocks himself unconscious playing Ping-Pong with his boys, he knows what the response will be because it is the response of many Black women who are suspicious of men.
Ping-Pong? Really?
The only mistake Hart makes in “What Now?” are the background images, which are unnecessary.
But what is necessary is crowning “What Now?” as the crown jewel in his comedy concert film legacy.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
