484. Night School; movie review

NIGHT SCHOOL
Cert 15
111 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex references, infrequent strong language

Three years ago, I reacted with astonishment when a Kevin Hart movie made us laugh.
Sadly, Night School ain't The Wedding Singer and returns Hart to the level of his previous loud and unfunny movies.
Ok, there is a moral message behind Malcolm D. Lee's film which raises it ever-so-slightly out of the gutter.
But, by and large, this is the same old motormouth, slapstick nonsense we have seen many many times before.
The premise of Night School is not only preposterous - it struck me has having very little comedy potential. Sadly, I was right.
Hart plays high school drop-out who goes on to be a relatively successful salesman and hooks a very attractive and wealthy girlfriend because of his gift of the gab.
Anyway, his bravado and his bumbling get him into such trouble that he loses his job and is on the cusp of losing his girl.
Therefore, he signs up for Night School to try to achieve his diploma which will open the way to higher paid jobs.
What exactly is funny about mature students? They have been around long before I studied for my degree 35 years ago.
Anyway, it appears that Hart and co. felt as if they had discovered comedy gold and had instead hit a very large rock.
Top of the list of desperate unfunnies was Hart's character being diagnosed with learning difficulties and literally being hit around the head by his supposedly empathetic teacher (Tiffany Haddish) in an attempt to reinforce learning.
This scene wasn't just the low point of this movie - it was the nadir of cinema in 2018!

Reasons to watch: If you are a fan of Kevin Hart's shouty comedy style
Reasons to avoid: If you are like me and don't find him funny

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 3/10

Director quote - Malcolm D. Lee - "Kevin is the perfect lynchpin to be the hub of all these other misfits in the classroom."

The big question - I ask it again - who really finds Kevin Hart's baseline humour funny?

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