Two Fridays Would Have Done...

Friday After Next was plugged by Ice Cube as being the funniest yet of the three Fridays when he appeared on L.A.'s Power 106 morning radio show. Ice Cube boasted how he thought this one would definitely take the cake of the three, however I found this to be nothing but a ploy to get everyones money!

Friday After Next begins with a dark setting of a low-end apartment building with Day-Day (Mike Epps) rambling in his stoned sleep--dreaming of his wishes to Santa for women, weed, and food for Chico--while Craig (Ice Cube) is awakened by noise from the living room. Much to his surprise, Craig finds a cracked-out looking Santa Claus stealing everything in the house he can. This, we find, is the main plot of the story--other than the pathetic security jobs Day-Day and Craig have been given.

Other than security guards without guns, or even flashlights, pimps that weigh in at less than a buck and a quarter, greasy barbecue, angry teenage gang members, and an ex-con who is infatuated with TuPac, this film turns south after the first thirty-five to forty-five minutes (mind the pun).

Throughout the movie there are many funny lines and some good bantering between family, friends, and foes of the film, but there is only so much humor in much of the movie. Pimps, hoes, and ghetto slang can only carry a film so far. Friday After Next is definitely lacking in a solid plot and a decent ending. I found the ending to be "rushed and forced" in feeling in that it seems like they couldn't come up with anything better. The budget for Friday After Next couldn't have been that low! I expected some kind of resolution of it all, but felt that the movie was cut short. It left me feeling robbed of 85 minutes (and who makes an 85 minute movie these days anyway?) and quite disappointed. So much for leaving a movie with the urge to recite and reenact the funny scenes!

Ice Cube and DJ Pooh really have their work cut out for them if they ever plan to redeem themselves after Friday After Next! The first two were so good that the third shouldn't have been able to carry the Friday title. Maybe they should have tried another day of the week--at least it wouldn't have been as much of a disappointment. I think I'll skip getting the box set and just keep my DVD collection at the first two.