Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016)

“Kevin Hart: What Now?” stars Kevin Hart, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Ed Helms, and David Meunier.  Released on October 14, 2016, the film is about a comedian who performs in front of 50,000 people, providing a humorous insight into politics, current events, and everyday life.

The film is directed by Leslie Small, and it is based on Hart’s 2015 stand-up tour of the same name.  This is actually my first time reviewing a stand-up comedy film instead of a regular comedy film.  I don’t have that much experience watching those types of films, to be honest.  I mean, they show nothing but famous comedians poking fun at everything that’s been going on in the world and making audiences laugh until they peed their pants.  That’s all.  But, since I enjoyed Kevin Hart’s sense of humor in his movies, I wouldn’t mind giving this one a shot.

There’s not that much to tell about this film, other than the fact that Kevin Hart made history by performing his stand-up routine at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.  Yeah, you read that right.  Kevin Hart performed at a football field.  Before the show, there’s a segment that spoofs the James Bond series and it is directed by Tim Story, the man behind Fantastic Four, Think Like a Man, and Ride Along.  This is pretty much what would happen if they chose Hart to play James Bond instead of Daniel Craig....and they decided to make the next 007 film as a spy comedy.  All I can say about it is that it has its funny moments, but it doesn’t compare much to Hart’s stand-up performance.  The film, or in this case, the “stand-up concert” had me laughing from start to finish.  I couldn’t even decide which moment was my favorite.  All I know is that he tells the best stories and he tells the best jokes in his own “Hart-y” way.  When you take away the Bond-like segment before and after the show, the film has no story, no character development, no conflict, no anything.  It’s just Kevin Hart performing in front of a large group of people in a flipping football stadium, and that’s OK.  If you go into this film expecting a strong story or any other qualities that make a film “a film”, you won’t be able to find them in this one.  It’s designed to make people laugh, that’s it.  

Overall, “Kevin Hart: What Now?” is a hilarious experience that showcases the comedian’s record-breaking, sold-out performance in Philadelphia.  Despite the lack of storytelling and conflict, Hart’s comedic style has enough juice to generate some big laughs out of his fans.  People who enjoyed watching stand-up comedies and/or Kevin Hart will definitely like this film, or “stand-up concert”.  Not sure what to call it.  I’ll just call it the “stand-up concert”.

A-