#REVIEW Kevin Hart: WHAT NOW?

You either love him or hate him. Selling out Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in August 2015, a first for any comedian, Kevin Hart took the stage for his “What Now?” show. There is no denying that Hart has had a presence in Hollywood, one that has deemed successful wherever his name is attached. Question is, is he able to do well in an unscripted environment and make a football field, and now the world on screen, for viewers to walk out satisfied?

The film opens up with a James Bond themed sequence with the black and white, the slow song with his name being sung and cool action shots with his silhouette doing the stunts. Walking in with no other than Halle Berry, we see Hart and Berry argue over a package that she did not deliver the last time, but has it this time for his poker game. Joining the pre-filmed sequence, we see Don Cheadle and Ed Helms taking part of “What Now?”

The opening sequence is a gateway for Hart’s stand up show, which was about 15-20 minutes long, so that you also get more of a theatrical feel to the film. Unlike other stand up shows, Hart does a good job of painting visuals to his pieces. His production is well done, matching with what he is saying. He talks about throwing out garbage in the middle of the night, out in the dark, with the garbage bin being all the way down his long driveway. He talks about how scared he is, and while he talks about that, lights go out in the stadium and the screens show nothing but pitch black and an ample amount of eyes, blinking and looking at him. He then wakes up his 7 year old son to do it instead, telling him it’s time to be a man.

The movie goes on with his well-thought out and planned jokes, making the audience feel like they were actually there. For movie-goers, this is a bonus, as you won’t just see a Hart with a microphone talking, but you’ll also get a taste of how he is getting to his point. “What Now?” delivers what most stand ups cannot do if they were put in theatres, and that’s why we feel that Kevin Hart will open the door for many aspiring comedians looking to put their film out for the box office, as he successfully gives the world a chance to see the show without physically being there, and at a price of a movie ticket.

Universal Pictures Canada releases Kevin Hart: WHAT NOW? on Friday, Oct 14, 2016

[Review by: Reem Chahrour]