Review: Night School
By most accounts, Kevin Hart is a funny guy. If you are one of those people who enjoy his acting, “Night School” is probably worth your time to see. In the new comedy, Hart plays Teddy, a dishonest high school dropout whose career as a salesman comes to an abrupt halt when he inadvertently blows up his workplace. Suddenly without a source of money, Teddy must attend night school to earn his GED and re-enter the workforce, despite his hatred of school and honest work.
Overall, this is a working premise that the director and cast successfully execute. The pacing of the movie is good, and the supporting cast on the whole deliver strong performances, especially Tiffany Haddish, who plays Carrie, Teddy’s night school teacher. Perhaps the best part of the movie, however, its fusion of multiple types of comedy, with moments of both verbal and nonverbal humor throughout the movie.
However, the viewer’s enjoyment of the film depends largely on their enjoyment of Hart’s acting: Teddy is onscreen for almost the entire film, and is responsible for delivering most of the film’s comedy. For those who find his performance funny, “Night School” will be enjoyable to watch; for those who do not, it is a non-starter.
Additionally, though it may be funny, “Night School” is almost instantly forgettable. It follows a more or less predictable plotline, and there is nothing new about a comedy following a nice but somewhat dumb protagonist who experiences a series of comical tribulations before the movie ultimately ends happily. Additionally, the humor is generally tame and not particularly memorable, though that may in part be to obtain a PG-13 rating. Overall, while “Night School” offers its share of humor, there is no reason anyone will remember it in five years.
By most accounts, Kevin Hart is a funny guy. If you are one of those people who enjoy his acting, “Night School” is probably worth your time to see. In the new comedy, Hart plays Teddy, a dishonest high school dropout whose career as a salesman comes to an abrupt halt when he inadvertently blows up his workplace. Suddenly without a source of money, Teddy must attend night school to earn his GED and re-enter the workforce, despite his hatred of school and honest work.
Overall, this is a working premise that the director and cast successfully execute. The pacing of the movie is good, and the supporting cast on the whole deliver strong performances, especially Tiffany Haddish, who plays Carrie, Teddy’s night school teacher. Perhaps the best part of the movie, however, its fusion of multiple types of comedy, with moments of both verbal and nonverbal humor throughout the movie.
However, the viewer’s enjoyment of the film depends largely on their enjoyment of Hart’s acting: Teddy is onscreen for almost the entire film, and is responsible for delivering most of the film’s comedy. For those who find his performance funny, “Night School” will be enjoyable to watch; for those who do not, it is a non-starter.
Additionally, though it may be funny, “Night School” is almost instantly forgettable. It follows a more or less predictable plotline, and there is nothing new about a comedy following a nice but somewhat dumb protagonist who experiences a series of comical tribulations before the movie ultimately ends happily. Additionally, the humor is generally tame and not particularly memorable, though that may in part be to obtain a PG-13 rating. Overall, while “Night School” offers its share of humor, there is no reason anyone will remember it in five years.
