* and a half out of 5 stars
When one of a film's main characters decides not to participate in a sequel, it is a definite sign the series should not be continued.
However, actor/rapper Ice Cube ("Barbershop") decided to further his "Friday" series with two sequels, even after co-star Chris Tucker ("Rush Hour") failed to reprise his role as the cult-favorite character Smokey.
"Friday" revolved around the lives of Craig (Ice Cube) and Smokey, two bored, weed-smoking young men from the ghettos of Los Angeles. Ice Cube's original film worked so well thanks to the semi-directionless plot and clever supporting characters, which included the lovable Smokey and his marijuana addiction.
After Smokey was written out of "Next Friday" (the sequel), things became more complicated and ultimately less enjoyable. A concrete plot was developed, with Craig moving to the suburbs with his cousin Day-Day (Mike Epps), whose father had just won the lottery. With a diminished focus on randomness and creativity, the sequel was bogged down with horrible writing and poor character development. The same applies with the most recent film in the "Friday" series: "Friday After Next."
Back in the ghetto of L.A. and living on their own, Craig and Day-Day are robbed by a man in a Santa Claus suit on the morning of Christmas Eve; a Friday. With their rent money stolen, and bombarded with threats of eviction, the duo start work as unarmed strip-mall security guards in hopes of catching the thief in the act.
There is nothing more foul than the stench of a forced plot, and once you see "Friday After Next," you'll recognize the odor. There are too many characters and situations thrown together haphazardly, failing to provide cohesion. There is no reason as to why the boys' mustached landlady is infatuated with Craig's father, and two scenes with Day-Day's dog are thrown in just for unnecessary gags. The film as a whole feels rough around the edges, and does not embrace its randomness successfully as in the original "Friday."
The new supporting characters are nothing more than generic stereotypes, from Moly, the doughnut shop owner whose store is a health inspector's nightmare, to Money Mike, the tackily dressed pimp with no respect for women.
Even some of the classic returning characters are handled poorly. Each is pushed into the shadows in exchange for a greater focus on Craig and Day-Day's clumsy antics. Most disappointing is the watering down of Craig's father, played by the typically humorous John Witherspoon of "The Wayans Brothers" fame. One of the more entertaining characters in the "Friday" films, "Friday After Next" fails to take advantage of his stuttering giddiness. In this film, he is simply another run-of-the-mill loudmouth.
Humor is restricted to uncreative one-liners. Lines such as "It's not your booty, it's your beauty" get a few laughs, but only because they are so ridiculously corny.
The biggest downfall of "Friday After Next" is the sheer annoyance factor brought on by Day-Day. Thanks to his abuse of security-guard power and his stubbornness, he is quite simply the most irking and unbearable sight of the film. Like Craig, you will want to throw him against some walls and make him sit down and shut up.
In a fit of rage, Craig says to Day-Day, "You know what you are? Remedial." He asks what that means, and Craig perfectly sums up what Day-Day - and the film is- in one word: "Retarded."
