Plot: What’s it about?
Thanks to a local church collection, it looks like Kid (Christopher Reid) is off to college, to learn, have some fun, and romance his dream woman, Sidney (Tisha Campbell). It seems as though things are starting to work out in his favor for a change, but that all changes when his tuition check ends up in the wrong hands. The wrong hands in this case belong to his best friend Play (Christopher Martin) who ends up getting suckered in by a con woman (Iman) posing as a talent agent. As if studying his butt off and working on his love life with Sidney wasn’t enough, now Kid has to come up with a plan as to how to pay his tuition, otherwise he’ll be kicked out of school. The solution it seems is simple, Kid and Play need to do what they do best, throw an all campus house party, and charge ten bucks a head. With DJ Bilal (Martin Lawrence) back to spin the records, you know this is going to be one outrageous house party, right? But in order to make this a success, our boys have to avoid the campus security guards, who are the same guys who bullied Kid in high school, among others who would like to close the shindig down. With his education, relationship with Sidney, and maybe an ass kicking hanging in the balance, Kid has to make sure this is the best house party yet!
Being a sequel seems to be a bad thing, as the follow ups rarely live up to the originals. While this film isn’t as funny as the first, it is still very good and fans of the original should enjoy this one as well. In fact, it would be hard to view this movie and understand most of the jokes unless you’ve seen the first film, so make sure you’ve seen it before you check this one out. Perhaps what keeps this movie from tanking is the return of many characters from the first film, which gives this one a nostalgic charm, even if it was made only one year later. The tone is also very similar, which means most of the people who liked the first one should enjoy this follow up as well. But this is not just a carbon copy of the first film, just created in the same vein, so fans of the original would be alienated. I mean, some sequels should break new ground, but not a movie like this, you want to keep close to the original, at least I think so. And that’s what happens here, we get the feel and look of the original, with some new twists tossed in to keep it fresh. I recommend this release to anyone who liked the first movie and is looking for more of the same, and New Line has issued a disc that is worth your cash, whether it be a rental or purchase.
This film was directed by frequent collaborators Doug McHenry and George Jackson, who have several films on their collective resume. In this film the pair recaptures the atmosphere and visual style of the original, while adding some new touches of their own. The two must have enjoyed working on the series, since they returned as executive producers on the third and final film in the series. The two also worked on films such as Jason’s Lyric, Krush Groove, Mr. Murder, and New Jack City. Once again the leads are played by hip hop artists Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin, also known as Kid ‘n’ Play. These two have the same energy as they did in the first film, and the characters are a perfect fit for these guys. Returning major players include Tisha Campbell (Sprung, Another 48 Hours) as Kid’s love interest and pre-fame Martin Lawrence (Tv’s Martin, Blue Streak) as that wacky record scratcher with bad breath. Alas, this is Lawrence’s final appearance in the series, as his star rose shortly after this one. Some of the new players include Iman (Exit To Eden, Out of Africa) and Queen Latifah (Set It Off, Living Out Loud) , who provide humorous supporting roles.
Video: How does it look?
House Party 2 is presented in both 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and full frame formats, with both included on the same side of this dual layered disc. This is a catalog title, so many studios might have issued a rushed transfer, but not New Line, they have given this sequel a visual presentation fit for a Best Picture winner. This is a bright and colorful movie and the transfer handles the shades well, with no bleeding at all, and flesh tones come across perfectly as well. Just as good is the contrast, which sports excellent shadow layering and no detail loss that I could spot. As has become the norm from New Line, the compression is flawless and shows no signs of errors or artifacts.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a Dolby Digital 5.1 track for audio, which makes sure it all comes through as intended. This is a dialogue driven comedy, so while the surrounds do see some action, it’s mainly due to the soundtrack. The music is your basic bass heavy hip hop and it comes across well, with most of the speakers kicking in often. Aside from the soundtrack there’s little surround use, but then again the movie doesn’t really call for it. The main focus is the dialogue, which is replicated well with no volume or separation issues.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You’ll find trailers for the House Party trilogy as well as some talent files.
