In Netflix's 'Fatherhood,' Kevin Hart gives a white dad's memoir new layers of meaning

Netflix's new dramatic comedy "Fatherhood," based on Matt Logelin's memoir, follows Matt, played by comedian Kevin Hart, a soon-to-be father who isn't quite taking the impending birth of his daughter seriously enough.

Though an emergency C-section upends his plans for a night out with the guys, both Matt and his wife, Liz (Deborah Ayorinde, of "Them"), who had health concerns during the pregnancy, are delighted with their newborn baby, Maddy.

However, shortly after giving birth, Liz dies suddenly of a pulmonary embolism, leaving a reeling Matt to try and deal with his grief and a brand-new baby on his own.

Continue reading at NBC Think.

Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Producer Will Packer and Director Malcolm D. Lee Talk The Cleverly Crafted 'Night School' →

Life comes at you fast, which is certainly the case for Kevin Hart’s character Teddy in the new Will Packer-produced comedy, Night School. Teddy is a high school dropout, whose charisma and impressive salesman abilities have allowed him to create a precariously built life of luxury with the woman of his dreams, Lisa (Megalyn Echikunwoke). However, his world crumbles under his feet when he finds himself out of a job without a degree or any other skills to fall back on. Determined to keep up the facade of his luxe lifestyle, Teddy turns to a night school class and a no-nonsense teacher named Carrie (Tiffany Haddish) — with the hopes of finally earning his GED. With electrifying chemistry between Hart and Haddish and a fantastic supporting cast that includes Romany Malco, Keith David and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji, it’s clear that after Think Like A Man, Ride Along and The Wedding Ringer, the Hart/Packer machine is just getting the ball rolling.

Shortly before Night School's premiere at Urbanworld 2018, Shadow and Act sat down to chat with Packer, the film's director Malcolm D. Lee, Hart, and Haddish. After many years of friendship, the actors were finally able to work together on a film, something they talked about extensively when they were coming up through the comedy clubs of Los Angeles.

Hart and Packer had been working on the concept for Night School for quite some time, but the final script came together just as the frenzy surrounding Girls Trip was kicking into high gear.

"Kevin and I were developing," Packer revealed. "This is his first time producing a movie, so he and I produced it together. This is our seventh movie together, but we did not have a director. Malcolm and I had just finished Girls Trip, and I showed Kevin an early cut of the film. He loved it and said, 'Let's go get Malcolm Lee.'"

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Review: ‘Central Intelligence’ Is Quintessentially Kevin Hart

Everyone remembers high school. Whether you had the time of your life, or you were counting down the days until graduation, those four years made some sort of impact on your journey into adulthood. Personally, I look back and thank God for contact lenses, Shea butter, and a bit more wisdom. Still, for me, high school wasn’t all that bad. But, no matter what your experience, “Central Intelligence” reminds us just how horrific or glorious those high school days might have been.

From “Get Hard” with Will Ferrell to “Ride Along” and “Ride Along 2” with Ice Cube, Kevin Hart has mastered the buddy comedy genre as of late. In “Central Intelligence”, he stars as the complacent accountant, Calvin Joyner, who misses his glorious high school days. Calvin finds himself reluctantly pulled into a CIA plot when he reconnects with the most humiliated nerd from high school, Bob Stone. Playing the once overweight nerd turned Hercules, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as Hart’s hunkier counterpart who gets him swept away in an adventure of a lifetime. After being unwittingly roped into Bob’s world of espionage and shootouts, Calvin is shocked out of his near comatose existence.

There’s nothing new in “Central Intelligence”. We’ve all seen this movie before. You can almost time Hart’s comedic beats at this point, and the plot of the film runs pretty much in the same vein as any other buddy action comedy. A duo with opposing personalities hook up in order to solve a crime. Along the way, they find that they must learn to work together, or get defeated by the enemy. “Central Intelligence” in no way brilliantly transforms or breaks the mold for the genre. In fact, the shootout scenes in the film were unsettling for me considering the horrific tragedy that occurred in Orlando not even a week ago.

Still, despite the generic formula, a few things stood out. The Rock’s transformation into nerdy highschooler Robbie Weirdicht is CGI gold.  Unfortunately, much of that spectacular opening sequence has been revealed in the film’s trailers. And while I appreciated the narrative allowing the adult Bob to cling to his love for fanny packs, unicorns, and John Hughes films, this character simply isn’t all that convincing on a towering figure like The Rock.

Speaking of towering figures, the physicality in the film is striking to watch. While the stunts are amusing, The Rock’s huge physique dwarfing Kevin Hart’s more compact frame makes the action sequences even more hilarious. The stark contrast got me wondering about how the cameramen maneuvered around the twelve-inch height difference between the actors.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Warner Bros.

REVIEW: “Ride Along 2” Is Predictably Unfunny

If you're a Kevin Hart fan, then you know what you're in for when you sit down to watch one of his films. There are always some hilarious moments (including a bit of slapstick humor) some decent cameos, and even some witty one-liners. From his stand up performances to his characters on the big and small screens, Hart has mastered the art of capturing the audience’s attention. And yet, when I sat down to watch Hart and his co-star Ice Cube in the first “Ride Along” film, (which debuted in 2014) I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. I laughed more than I thought I would, and Hart and Ice Cube's chemistry hit that perfect sweet spot that’s needed for any decent buddy film. Still, when the sequel to the cop action comedy was announced, I found myself rolling my eyes. This was not a storyline that needed an additional moment, and certainly not another full-length film. It turns out, I was right to be apprehensive.

Despite the vibrant Miami background, flashy cars, and new cast members, “Ride Along 2” failed, as most sequels do, to live up to the corny light-heartedness of the original. In “Ride Along 2”, recent police academy graduate, Ben, eagerly follows his soon to be brother-in-law, James, to Miami in order to follow up on a lead in a big drug case. Just a week before his wedding to James’ sister, Angela (played by Tika Sumpter), Ben is determined to prove that he has what it takes to become a detective. Continue Reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Ride Along 2 Poster/Universal Pictures