Starring Christopher "Kid" Reid, Christopher "Play" Martin, Bernie Mac, and Angela Means
Directed by Eric Meza
Music and Lyrics by various
We return to the rapping world of our other pair of best buddies, Kid n' Play, to kick off Black History Month. The first two House Party movies were some of the biggest hits of the early 90's. A third go-around was likely inevitable, but by the time this one rolled out in early 1994, the music industry had changed considerably. Rap and rock gained a harder edge in the mid-90's than the upbeat comic routines Kid n' Play favored, with the wild candy-colored prints of earlier in the decade replaced by grungy plaids, flatter hair, and less riotous colors. How does this work with the story of Kid's impending wedding and his last big bachelor party? Let's begin with Kid (Reid) dreaming about marrying his fiancee Veda (Means) and find out...
The Story: Kid's nerves about his wedding aren't offset by having to babysit his three cousins (rap group Immature) for the weekend or deal with his senile Aunt Lucy (Ketty Lester). Meanwhile, Play is supposed to bring the female rappers Sex as a Weapon (TLC) to big-time promoter Showboat (Michael Colyar), but they bail out for another manager. He's also trying to set up Kid's bachelor party at a local ballroom, but Immature move it to Aunt Lucy's house in order to put the focus on them. Kid's old girlfriend Sydney (Tisha Campbell) is also in town, which makes Veda very jealous. When the party at the ballroom is a bust and his Uncle Vester (Mac) calls him about the wild party at his aunt's house, Kid decides that he and Play need to make one last stand, before Showboat and his hit women do any damage.
The Song and Dance: Glad to see Kid and Play have somewhat more time together here after being apart for a lot of House Party 2. They work best when they're playing off each other. Mac shows off the motormouth and verbal dexterity that would eventually earn him his own sitcom later in the 90's. I was a fan of TLC as a teenager, and it's great to see them here, even if they don't have that much to do. I also wish we saw more of Lester. She has some very funny moments as Aunt Lucy, who is a lot less senile than her nephews think she is.
Favorite Number: We open in Kid's dream with his talking about how his ladies "Bounce." Immature tries to give Play their "Wakes You Up," but he just thinks they're kids. Kid n' Play also get "Two Fingers" and "Make Noize." Hip-hop duo MOP asks "How About Some Hardcore?" while Sylk Smoov wants to "Drop Down." R.A.S Posse get to "Rock This House," while AMG delivers the closest thing this movie got to a hit, "Butt Booty Naked." To da Core perform "We Got It Goin' On" at the actual party, while Nerissa sings "The Cure" and Kid n' Play do "Void" and bring us into the "Here and Now."
Trivia: Film debuts of Chris Tucker and Angela Means.
What I Don't Like: This one shares a lot of the same problems as the previous films. First of all, after trying so hard to sign them, would it have hurt to let TLC do a number? They were hugely popular in the mid-90's. Immature lives up to their names by being as annoying for viewers as they are for the characters. It's pretty obvious David Edwards as Kid's cousin Stinky was meant to be a replacement for their friend Bial, but he's no Martin Lawrence (who had graduated to his own sitcom by this point). The movie starts slow, with not much of anything besides talk and rapping happening until Immature switch the party venue in the second half. And yeah, there's still the dated portrayal of the film's female characters and marriage in general.
The Big Finale: While it's generally regarded as the worst of the original three 90's House Party movies, it's still worth a look for fans of the series or 90's rap and R&B.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, often for under $10.
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