TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

mjw26 When I was growing up, John Hughes created some of the more notable coming-of-age films in cinematic history. Classics like Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast Club, and the wildly inappropriate Weird Science (we will cover that at another time) were fun to watch over and over again. However, I remember thinking how few teen movies there were with people of color. Of course, there was Cooley High in the 70's, but after that, there wasn't much that resonated like those films. Luckily, the Hudlin brothers-along with candy-coated rap sensations Kid 'n Play--an instant classic is born. While most people think House Party is primarily about two friends trying to throw the dopest party in school-which they achieve-it is secretly a story about an overworked father named Pops (Robin Harris) trying to raise a teenage son, on his own. Pops was well aware of the dangers that affected young black males, so more than anything; he wanted to keep his son close to home, educated, and out of trouble. However, what would a movie about teenagers be without them making rebellious decisions, and luckily, Kid takes everyone on a fun journey through a black suburb to make it to his friend Play's party. Keep in mind, it may seem insignificant now, but black kids in a friendly suburban neighborhood was a rare onscreen appearance. These were not the stereotypical black kids from a troubled area; they were smart, good kids who only wanted to party and get laid.After getting into a fight at school, and to keep him safe, Pop puts Kid on punishment. Kid sneaks out any way to attend Play's party and finds himself pursued by the same bullies who attacked him in school-a stooge-like trio played side-splittingly by R&B group Full Force. Never mind that these dudes look like they should be seniors in college; Full Force are the perfect foils to Kid's savvy wit and consistent stroke of good luck. Along the way, Kid 'n Play find time for love, or sex if you are Play. Both men a bestowed two beautiful young ladies to pursue in the form of the lovely AJ Johnson (Sharane) and Tisha Campbell-Martin (Sidney). Both guys are after Sharane-the bad girl in the bodysuit. While Sidney-the sweet suburban girl-longs to be noticed in the shadow of her sexy best friend. All of these elements are blended with Pops hunt to retrieve his son from this party while dealing with two moronic, and bigoted cops that keep popping up and the most inconvenient times. Almost thirty years after it is original release, House Party is as enjoyable the 100th time as it was the 1st time. The themes in House Party are timeless. The jokes are still funny, and the cast is a pure cinematic joy. Kid 'n Play became bigger stars on the screen than they ever were as rappers, and that is a good thing. Both actors play well off each other, and they're charisma keeps the movie and light and smooth pace. Moreover, if that was not enough to get you interested, there's a young Martin Lawrence who shows you an earlier taste of his comedic genius and near the midpoint of the film, is without a doubt, one of the best dance battles in movie history. House Party is a rousing good time for all and a movie that deserves to be considered as one of the best comedy and teen movies...period.

jDriftyx82 House Party is a light, entertaining teen comedy with an infectious energy.The 5.7 rating from the users of IMDb and the 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes critics is scary. Maybe it's because this classic is pretty dated and doesn't have the "modern" or "cool" things most rap movies have nowadays.But anyways, Kid 'N Play are a surprising great acting team (as well as rapping team). The writing is good and the energy brought by the cast is amazing. The music will be stuck in your head for days. And the dance sequence is probably the best of the '90s.And ever since I saw this movie, I've been listening to a lot of Kid 'N Play songs, and watched all 4 movies.

Jon Marin Fresh off the success of their 1988 debut album 2 Hype, Kid N Play was seen as marketable to mainstream America while hip hop was also burgeoning into mainstream. The former back up dancers turned hip hop superstars was casted as leads for two then unknown directors going by the name The Hudlin Bros. The rest is history. 1990's hip hop teen comedy House Party was an indie success and left footprints forever in the evolution of hip hop. Kid is still trying to get over the death of his mom and lives with his widower father (Robin Harris). He gets into a scuffle at school with bullies (Full Force) and when his father finds out, he is grounded. Being that he was grounded, it was preventing him from going to the "party of the year" being held by his friend Play. He decides to sneak out and go to the party. These events will lead to one crazy night. House Party is hilarious. Like one of the greatest comedies you'll ever see hilarious. Not only is it hilarious, but it captures the essence of early 90s hip hop culture. Positive lyrics, the flat top, jheri curls, the door knocker earrings, loud colors, Air Jordans, and who could ever forget the Kid N Play toe tap dance? House Party is the ultimate hip hop film that offer laughs even almost 20 years into its existence. House Party would go on to create a career for a unknown comedian named Martin Lawrence, spawn 2 sequels, a Kid N Play cartoon and its one liners are forever remembered by hip hop enthusiasts worldwide. House Party is definitely one of the greatest comedies I've seen and one of my favorite films of all time.House Party - ***1/2 out of ****

Pepper Anne Oddly serving as the thesis film for director Reginald Hudlin while a student at Harvard, 'House Party' is one of my favorite teen comedies. Although, clearly most of the cast (especially Martin Lawrence and the members of Full Force) who were clearly somewhere in their late 20s, if not early 30s. However, this is one all-black teen comedy which did things with just the right amount of spunk, and the characters were not so obnoxious and not so stereotypical that you couldn't enjoy their (mis)adventures.Old school rappers, Kid and Play, are two high school friends. Play is hosting a house party when his folks go out of town and his number one mate, Kid, plans on making an appearance. But, after getting into a scuffle with one of the bullies (aka, the biggest muscles from Full Force), he gets suspended. Like Les Anderson hoping his parents won't find out that he flunked his driver exam in 'License to Drive,' Kid prays that his father won't find out about his getting in trouble at school because he desperately wants to go that party.But, more importantly, there is a great mix of subplots interacting which make this movie quite entertaining, especially the idiotic white cops that seem to appear at the most inconvenient moments (and not appear at the convenient ones) to harass the neighborhood and Kid's father (stand-up comedian, Robin Harris) making his way to the house party to bring his son home. And get a load of those clothes and dancing! For fans of old school rap and hip-hop: the nostalgia trip alone should be reason enough to watch it. And, though several House Party sequels would follow, the first two are really the only ones worth watching.