“An inexplicably popular movie starring Kevin Hart”–Told you I’d be using that phrase a lot. Except that the advertising (which plays up heavily Hart’s contemptuous romance with Regina Hall) is slightly misleading since this is really a romance between Michael Ealy/Joy Bryant and Hart/Hall are merely on the fringes. They’re the “best friends” but really they should be the main couple since I can hardly remember one scene that Bryant/Ealy are in solo.
What Works: One of these days, a romantic comedy writer is going to figure out that the most interesting characters in those movies are the “best friends” (side kicks) who are allowed to be feisty, unconventionally attractive, and actually have real flaws. And on that day, they are going to set that entire movie with them as the leads and the “leading couple” on the sidelines, which is exactly what should have happened here. Although Ealy is a likable presence and Bryant always should have been more of a breakout than she is.
What Doesn’t Work: Hart/Hall’s funky duo (he’s about a foot shorter than her, but she’s the rare Kevin Hart lady allowed to have a personality to match his) only highlight that Ealy/Bryant are merely a surface couple that only “look” good together, but don’t have much honest heat between them. At one point, Hart comments on how boring they are, and we kind-of have to agree with him. It also doesn’t help that they honestly don’t seem like a great couple, and it’s a repeated theme throughout the movie that Bryant might be more into him than he’s into her. At the end, they seem to be together more out of exhaustion with their other options than because they’re really a good match. [It also doesn’t help that Paula Patton shows up to goose the proceedings in one scene (as Ealy’s ex) that is more memorable than any of the sweet romance between him and Bryant.]
What I Would Have Done Differently: In case you can’t tell already, I would have refocused the movie to the supporting couple.