THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Friday was a comedy that gained a cult following since its 1995 theatrical release. So with popularity like that, a sequel seemed inevitable to happen. And in the year 2000, we got just that.
PLOT
Next Friday takes place five years after Craig beat Deebo in a fight. When words get around that the neighborhood bully has broken out of prison with his brother Tyrone, Willy has his son move out of South Central to Rancho Cucamonga, where his brother Elroy lives with his son Day-Day reside after winning the lottery. They do encounter the two escaped convicts, but it’s only short lived as they drive off before things could get worse. When arriving to Cucamonga, Craig discovers that his uncle spends most of his time expressing his sexual appetite with his wife Suga (Kym Whitley), while Day Day works at a record store and tries to avoid conflict with his ex girlfriend Dwana (Tamala Jones), who claims to be pregnant with his baby. He does meet some of the neighbors, the polite Asian woman Mrs. Ho-Kym (Amy Hill) and a trio of Mexican thugs, known as the Joker brothers: Joker, Little Joker (Lobo Sebastian) and Baby Joker (Rolando Molina). However, he also encounters their attractive sister Karla. When he attempts to make a move on her, the brothers have him get chased by their dog, a bull terrier named Chico. Craig later discovers that the house could be repossessed after receiving a delinquency notice. When he tells Day Day at work, he explains that taxes and fees were taken out of the lottery, not having enough to pay off the notice. After this discovery, he is chased around by Dwana’s sister Baby D (Robin Allen), who throws a brick at his BMW, after Dwana already keyed it earlier. When the store owner Pinky arrives, he mistakes Craig as a burglar, leading to a fight between the two. When the fight ends and both cousins explain they’re related, Pinky fires both Day Day and co worker Roach. When going back home, they notice Joker with a hydraulic pump with cash sticking out. The plan is for them to sneak into their house and take the money from the pump. Deebo & Tyrone leave a message to Willy that Craig could be in trouble, and sneak into his truck as he leaves. At night, Roach feeds Chico an edible while Craig sneaks into the Jokers’ house to take the money. When he takes too long, Day Day knocks on the front door, but he and Roach are taken hostage by the Jokers. When Craig goes back to Elroy’s house, he realizes that the others haven’t returned. With the help of Elroy and the returning Willy, they attempt to rescue them. Elroy and Willy take down Little and Baby Joker. Roach and Day Day are free from captivity but as Craig fights Joker, Deebo & Tyrone break from the truck and before they could make their move, the police arrive and arrest all antagonists. Craig is able to take the money from Joker’s pump and give it to Elroy, in order to pay off the notice. As the film ends with him going back with his dad, his uncle tells him he is always welcome to his home.
THOUGHTS
Like the rest of the series, I’ve seen seeing this film since childhood when VHS tapes were relevant. And after years of rewatching, I’m still enjoying this film. There are days where I can say this sequel is better than the first film because that’s how funny it is me. In all honesty, nothing beats the first film but this one holds up better than their Christmas sequel. I thought director Steve Carr held it down on making this a funny sequel out of this extravagant script written by DJ Pooh and Ice Cube. This is one of those times where the themes from the predecessor aren’t present but are still fun in the end. While I admit this movie is funny, there are still stuff where I itch my head about. First off, why does Day Day call the cops on Baby D? That is the whole point of a restraining order, when alerting to arrest someone harassing him. Tommy Lister Jr. and Stinky Fingaz are a funny dynamic duo as Deebo and Tyrone but why does Deebo need Tyrone? I really don’t see the point of him being around where his only concern is going after Craig. And how does Willy not even try to put the dogs back in his truck? It would’ve been an interesting turn of events if he discovered the escaped convicts in his truck. And lastly, how does Craig walk away with the pump when the cops are arresting everybody? It is pure luck that not one cop asked Craig what he was carrying. Other than that, I still enjoy this movie for what it is. Considering that this comedy is pretty crazy, there is thankfully a cast that can back up the joyride we get. As an actor, Cube is still good as Craig, as he seems to be the most mature of the array of characters. I am still salty on Chris Tucker not returning but Mike Epps was a good replacement in this sequel. What made Epps funny in this sequel was how he was the opposite of Smokey, as he was more cowardly than courageous. John Witherspoon remains the funniest in this movie for me. I mean I’m laughing all day when he’s singing about having hot sauce on a burrito. Roach can be looked at as the token white boy but for some reason, I thought that Justin Pierce was some kind of heart with him. Seeing him fit in with the two cousins felt so genuine to see. And hey, he got his own courage calling out the Jokers for running over his skateboard. Speaking of the Jokers, I thought that Jacob Vargas was the funniest. Seeing him be so hotheaded, I couldn’t have a straight face whenever he was onscreen. From the split second Lisa Rodriguez appeared as Karla, I was starstruck because that’s how beautiful she is. She stood out to me not just for her beauty, but for just being a woman that spoke her mind, so you gotta respect her for not being afraid of her brothers. Clifton Powell was pretty funny as well in his given time as Pinky. I mean seeing how intense he was towards Craig was something I can’t have a straight face on. Last but not least, ‘DC’ Don Curry was a highlight of his own with the role of Elroy. Just seeing how upbeat he is through his sex crazed persona just hysterically blows me away. To wrap up, Next Friday is a comedy sequel that holds up in my opinion. If you love the first film, I think you’ll have a good time this one too.
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