Night School

Starring: Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Rob Riggle, Romany Malco, Taran Killam, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Al Madrigal, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Keith David, Anne Winters, Fat Joe, Ben Schwartz
Directed by: Malcolm D. Lee
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of adults attend night school classes to get their GEDs and turn their lives around.

Review:

Tim: I was pleasantly surprised by Night School. Now, I have to admit that this isn't quite a good movie, but it did feel like a decent little comedy. I know critics weren't big on the film (and for good reason), but in a time when it's so easy to rip apart the myriad bad comedies we get, I wasn't especially bothered by this one. Sure, it could have been funnier and more engaging, but it was a decent little comedy. That's worth acknowledging, because this is better than a lot of terrible, unfunny movies we get every year.

I thought the premise here was worth exploring. A group of adults are trying to get their GEDs. This is actually a great set up for comedy. Each of the characters has experienced some setbacks or challenges in their lives, that have led them to this point. The film mines these backgrounds for comedy, but it also sets up a redemption story for each of them. I thought this was effective. It makes sense to assemble a zany group of characters and have them bond together over the challenges of studying for a test as an adult. I had no faults with the premise of this film and I believe it truly does lend itself to comedy.

Kevin Hart was good in the lead role. This is obviously a vehicle for him to leverage his brand of comedy and it works within this film. While I've been hearing a lot about Tiffany Haddish, I've been underwhelmed by the few performances of hers I've seen. I went into this dreading watching her, but she was actually solid in the role. She balanced humor with making her character seem believable. Haddish was a pleasant surprise here. It felt like a more restrained role from her, so she didn't grate on the nerves as much. I enjoyed the pairing of Hart and Haddish and I hope they continue to collaborate together.

The supporting cast was decent. Rob Riggle added a few humorous momets. Romany Malco had a few funny lines, although it felt like his character was more of an afterthought. Taran Killam was hilarious as the principal and added a great deal to the film. He made a worthwhile antagonist and generated a lot of laughs with his absurd performance. He was one of the standouts of the film. Al Madgrial was entertaining in an important supporting performance. Mary Lynn Rajskub had her moments, but I just find her annoying and her performances always feel forced. Anne Winters doesn't get to do much at all, so it was hard to evaluate her performance. I liked seeing Fat Joe and he had a few truly funny scenes. It was fun to watch this eclectic, diverse cast. They might not all have been great, but it was fun seeing these actors all working together.

I thought the film did a good job of exploring topics like learning disabilities, as well as the message at the heart of the film. I enjoyed the focus on persistence in overcoming challenges, of asking for help and admitting when we can't do it all ourselves. The story was mostly predictable, but there were a few nice unexpected moments thrown in as well. The characters were fun to watch together, although they all felt too one-dimensional at various points in the film. I didn't really feel any level of investment with anyone, so it was hard to feel overly concerned about anything happening on screen. The movie had a few humorous moments, but it wasn't nearly funny enough.

I'm often hard on comedies because so many of them feel like no one is especially trying. That wasn't the case here. Night School isn't a good movie and it's not a film I could really recommend, but it does some things well and it's a decent film in the end. We still deserve better than this, but I didn't dislike watching the movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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