It may be 2023, but this year’s movie schedule already features a throwback to the 1990s. Or rather, a reboot, as director Calmatic has updated the 1990 cult classic House Party in a new film of the same name that was produced by LeBron James and stars Tosin Cole and Jacob Latimore — along with plenty of celebrity cameos, including the NBA great himself. The reviews are in, and critics have a lot to say about the new House Party, with most of them appearing to be in agreement that this was more of a miss than a slam dunk.
The ”movies that take place during parties” plot has often proven to be a successful jumping off point, and House Party gives us the leading duo of Kevin (Jacob Latimore) and Damon (Tosin Cole) as recently fired house cleaners, who recognize the opportunity to throw a big party at the mansion of one of their recent clients, LeBron James. Let’s see what the critics have to say about the hijinks that are sure to ensue, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of House Party. Our own Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, saying Latimore and Cole have great chemistry, but the film’s inconsistency overall is frustrating and disappointing. He continues:
While the film needs escalating insanity and silliness to keep the plot moving forward, that’s an energy that it’s unable to properly capture and sustain. It plays around with a handful of hilarious bits and certainly does hit some satisfying extremes, but they represent small spikes of entertainment as the movie primarily plateaus across its second and third act – ultimately resulting in it being more disappointing than fun.
IndieWire’s Jude Dry grades the movie a C+, saying Jacob Latimore has leading man potential if given better material, but overall he and Tosin Cole aren’t able to carry the movie amidst a bevy of celebrity cameos. The critic says:
Though Latimore and Cole have enough charisma to skate by, the movie lacks the originality and scrappiness of its inspiration. Trading on celebrity cameos and impressive set pieces, House Party feels like an uneven amalgam of so many studio comedies that came before it. That may be more a function of the system than the individual players, but an unimaginative story without a standout comic performance is unlikely to make waves.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety is one of several to opine that Kid Cudi steals the show as an exaggerated version of himself, but as far as the movie overall, the critic says the remake lacks the innocence and comedy of its predecessor. From the review:
It’s at once a party and a scam, and while the movie, directed by the music-video veteran Calmatic (it’s his first feature), is aware of all that, House Party doesn’t exactly strategize ways to make the chicanery funny. The film taps into the glitz ethos of the age of social-media envy without necessarily scrutinizing what it all means. Kid ‘n Play had put on a party to remember, but the new movie, much like Kevin and Damon themselves, just goes with the flow of the scam.
Frank Scheck of THR agrees with the previous sentiment, also saying the new version of House Party lacks fun. The critic lists the movie’s various shenanigans to point out that “none of this, and I mean none of this, proves remotely funny.” The review continues:
As is by now apparently required of celebrities, James takes the opportunity for some self-mockery, albeit of the extremely mild variety… But mostly he coasts through his few scenes looking as though he’d rather be anywhere else. And really, who could blame him? Lead actors Cole and Latimore are competent enough, but they don’t come close to approximating the original film’s stars’ charisma or likability, with the result that their characters’ ill-advised activities leave a sour taste. This is one party you can’t wait to be over.
Luke Y. Thompson of AV Club gives the movie a grade of C+ as well, saying that while it’s not as bad as LeBron James’ previous nostalgia project Space Jam: A New Legacy, it lacks the charm of the 1990 flick. This critic does find more humor than some of the others, though, saying:
To its credit, and this isn’t damning with faint praise, the new House Party is frequently very funny. (The R-rated language and creative insults are a great asset, even if they might restrict the potential teen audience.) What it has in humor, though, it lacks in pace. Co-writers and Atlanta alumni Jamal Olori and Stephen Glover ought to be just right for the job, but the story drags, a lot. At a certain point, the viewer may wonder why the party hasn’t started yet; once it finally does, we join it already in progress.
If House Party sounds like a party movie you want to check out for yourself, you can do so starting Friday, January 13, when it arrives in theaters. In the meantime, if you want to relive the original, 1990’s House Party is just one of the best Black-led movies on HBO Max right now, so be sure your HBO Max subscription is up to date.