Concert Flick Features Highlights of Funnyman’s 90-City Tour
Kevin Hart has enjoyed a tremendous surge in popularity lately after having basically divided his time over the last decade between acting and making the rounds on the comedy club circuit. He’s played the second banana in dozens of films such as Not Easily Broken, Soul Plane, and Scary Movie 3 and 4 before landing a role as a leading man in 2011 in 35 and Ticking.
Also this year, the 5’4″ funnyman embarked on a 90-city standup tour entitled “Laugh at My Pain” where he brought his unique brand of observational humor to venues all across the country. This concert flick of the same name ostensibly features his act at its best, as it was recorded on the last stop of the traveling show at the Nokia Theatre in L.A.
While undeniably hilarious in spots, the uninitiated ought to be forewarned that Hart’s delivery is peppered with plenty of curses and ethnic slurs. For example, in one bit about the children’s game “Duck, Duck, Goose,” he replaces “goose” with the N-word.
As for the subject-matter, most of the jokes are of the self-deprecating variety in which the diminutive complains about having to deal with his size and with being abused by various members of his dysfunctional family, especially his father. Via personal reflections, we learn that Kevin was left traumatized by his drug-addicted dad who never wore underwear (“You’re gonna learn what a long dick looks like today”) and who also threw him into 7 feet of water before he had learned how to swim.
Too bad the material is often needlessly raunchy, since Hart is colorful enough to entertain without needing to rely on so many salty adjectives. Another problem is the fact that the film is rather brief, clocking in at a mere 56 minutes, which is a great approach only if you adhere to the showbiz theory of leaving an audience wanting more.
Brace yourself to laugh as much at Kevin Hart’s profane language as at his pain!
Good (2 stars)
Rated R for sexual humor, ethnic slurs and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 56 minutes
Distributor: CodeBlack Entertainment
