I may be in the minority on this, but it was time for an update to House Party. Yes, I watched in horror as each sequel beyond the second film dragged the franchise down with each subsequent release (Note: I actually like House Party 3, but you can’t deny the drop-off from the first two). Still, every generation should experience what we Gen-Xers and millennials received early in the series – a film that gave us all the memories, life lessons, and music we enjoyed as we threw and/or attended real-life house parties.
After hitting rock bottom with two awful direct-to-video releases, the franchise gets a shot to give this generation that opportunity via a reboot from the Lebron James and Maverick Carter-led SpringHill Company. This iteration of House Party is the story of two down-on-their-luck promoters, Kevin and Damon, played by Jacob Lattimore and Tosin Cole, respectively, who stumble upon the opportunity to change their course by throwing a party in James’s mansion.
SpringHill’s first crack at a reboot, 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy, was flawed but still a solid watch for those mature enough to leave our Lebron disdain in the box scores. Do Lebron and Co. have the juice in their sophomore effort to revive this once-great series? The short answer is absolutely not.
House Party starts with plenty of promise. The plot, although unoriginal, is perfect. It’s pretty much House Party 2 at Lebron’s house instead of a college campus, but it still works because young people trying to better themselves will never get old. Honestly, writers Jamal Olori and Stephen Glover deserve some credit for updating it with things that speak directly to the younger demographic, such as doing what you love vs. what’s safe and betting on yourself.
The promise continues with the cast as Lattimore and Cole do well in their roles as the new Kid and Play, respectively. It’s a carbon copy of his role as Emmett in The Chi. The same charismatic blend of immaturity and longing to be better Lattimore brings to the Showtime series is what the doctor ordered here and he delivers.
Cole pairs well with Lattimore as the comedic foil in the duo but doesn’t shine as brightly as Lattimore because his jokes and scenes with other cast members fall fast and flat. It could be due to his lack of experience in comedy or another soon-to-be-discussed issue. Either way, Cole has the tools and could have been better. To a lesser extent, Allen Machado and Melvin Gregg also impress in minimal roles.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where the good in the House Party reboot chucks the deuces. Besides Lattimore and a few laughs from Machado and Gregg, this film finds ways to ruin itself.
First, the reboot lacks a substantive narrative. Again, House Party’s premise is good because it will always be relatable and provides plenty of opportunities for good storytelling. Yet, Olori and Glover’s script goes out of its way to focus on everything but that story – Kevin and Damon’s journey through this life-changing party.
Instead, Olori and Glover include several meaningless side stories involving minor characters that seem more like favors to friends than any meant to be a part of the movie. It’s only in small doses where there’s a semblance of Kevin and Damon having anything to do with the party.
The other major flaw is that House Party uses the star power of its cameos to cover the lack of a real narrative. This gives House Party the feel of an overextended Instagram reel instead of a movie. The intention may have been to use the “randomness” of various celebrities showing up as a gag, but it doesn’t land because they’re onlookers with nothing to add. Kid Cudi might be the only exception because of the length of his appearance but the writing kills what could have been a hallmark for the film. Lena Waithe’s appearance is unintentional comedy at its best.
The callbacks to the previous House Party films are also a disappointment. I won’t get too specific as I’m sure they’re intended to be easter eggs, but some of the earlier films’ signature moments are reduced to ill-placed, cringeworthy fillers to pass the time.
It’s unfair to expect this House Party to look anything like the original films. At the same time, it’s fair to say that this version is a nightmare come true for those skeptical of reboots, specifically the reboot of what the Hudlin Brothers and Doug McHenry got right.
The things people erroneously complained about with SpringHill’s Space Jam reboot come to life in House Party - It’s too big and has too much thrown in to distract from a story that’s as undercooked and unseasoned as a Cook Out burger. While SpringHill’s intentions were probably good in rebooting House Party, this is one party they should have skipped, and you should do the same.
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