THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 8, 1995 TAG: 9505060043
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
SITTING ON the front porch and observing the neighborhood eccentrics has netted a surprise hit comedy with ``Friday,'' an outrageous and irreverent riot co-written by rapper Ice Cube.
Although it is crudely produced and has an el-cheapo budget, it is impossible to easily dismiss this infectious laugh-getter.
Set entirely in one day, the title ``Friday,'' the film is little more than a group of stereotyped characters in a drug-oriented culture - something like ``Cheech and Chong Go to the 'Hood.'' The language is often scatological and the casual treatment of drugs is regrettable. But if you can get beyond all that, the mood is actually one of innocence and child-like confusion.
Stealing the film from one-note Ice Cube is the rubber-faced Chris Tucker, who plays Smokey, a local no-gooder. Tucker has the same kind of reckless overstatement as Jim Carrey and uses excess to get laughs out of very little.
Craig (Ice Cube) has just been fired from his job, even though it was his day off. His father (John Witherspoon, who appeared at Norfolk State University recently) moans mightily about his nogoodnik son, urging him to join dad in his job as dog catcher.
Smokey is threatened by Big Worm, the local drug dealer, because he owes money. Big Worm is sometimes called Big Perm because of the number of rollers in his hair.
Passing by the porch is a diverting group of eccentrics, including the neighborhood sexpot, who is married to a dwarf but makes time with the local minister. Smokey and Craig are funniest when they merely watch, and react, to all the crazy people around them.
Craig has girlfriend trouble from the wailing Joi (Paula Jai Parker), who is jealous of any female who gets near him, particularly the pert Debbie (Nia Long). Smokey, on the other hand, has an unfortunate ``date'' with a two-ton type who, on the phone, had claimed that she looked like Janet Jackson.
The resident bully is a heavyweight named Deebo (Tiny ``Zeus'' Lister Jr.) who shows up regularly to rob the boys of anything they possess.
One can only hope that the success of ``Friday'' will not bring back a casual use of drugs in movies. After the disgusting Cheech and Chong series, which used drugs as a crutch rather than a theme for comedy, one would hope that era was over.
At the same time, there is no denying that this movie is very funny. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by NEW LINE CINEMA
Ice Cube, left, and Chris Tucker star in the crudely produced film,
``Friday.''
MOVIE REVIEW
``Friday''
Cast: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tiny ``Zeus'' Lister Jr.,
John Witherspoon, Regina King
Director: F. Gary Gray
Screenplay: Ice Cube, DJ Pooh
MPAA rating: R (Language, language and more language. Hush!)
Mal's rating: two and 1/2 stars
Locations: Chesapeake Square, Greenbrier in Chesapeake, Main
Gate, Military Circle in Norfolk, Lynnhaven, Pembroke in Virginia
Beach
by CNB