ME TIME (NETFLIX) (2022)

SYNOPSIS: With his family away, a devoted stay-at-home dad enjoys his first me time in years by joining his hard-partying old friend on a wild birthday adventure.

MOVIE REVIEW:

The fact that Kevin Hart headlined two unfunny Netflix comedies in a row is alarming consider that the comedian’s career is on a high. We wouldn’t want a burn out Hart but he is potentially running out of laughs as seen in his latest comedy Me Time.

The movie written and directed by John Hamburg (Along Came Polly, I Love You Man) has Hart playing a househusband, Sonny whose daily chores include taking care of his children needs and being the President of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). He turns jealous when his wife, Maya (a wasted Regina Hall) gets too close with an eco-tycoon, Armando (Luis Gerardo Mendez). Maya knows that Sonny might be stressed out from the upcoming school talent show and recommends he takes some time off.

Trouble ensues when Sonny decides to join his buddy/childhood friend, Huck (Mark Wahlberg), a seemingly carefree rich bachelor who is currently partying hard celebrating his 44th birthday. Apparently, Huck is no help to Sonny’s mental health or whatsoever as he himself is in some sort of debt due to his frivolous spending. Is this the right time for the two buddies to reconnect? We highly doubt so.

Clearly, Me Time harbours a good intention of showcasing fatherhood, friendship and also a tribute to all sad middle-aged men out there. However, none of the happenings onscreen has anything remotely interesting to convey. If you want to uncover some hidden gems inside the numerous meaningless wacky gags, you for sure won’t find it there.

For a start, what’s so funny about two grown-ups meddling with a gigantic tortoise? That gag took long enough and it’s unfunny as hell. Hamburg even recycled a gag from Horrible Bosses only this time it’s Hart and a spatula instead of Charlie Day and a toothbrush. The only rib-tickling gag is watching Sonny being chased by a ferocious mama mountain lion in the desert. That’s probably the only joke worth catching.

As for Mark Wahlberg, the other big name in this comedy, he is basically just playing a variant of his character in Ted, immature, crass and ridiculous. And he is not even in the movie that much to make an impression. Then there is Jimmy O. Yang playing a loud loanshark equipped with a female Israeli bodyguard. Strangely, his character reminds us of Mr. Chow from The Hangover, only more subdued.

We don’t even have the heart to continually telling you how bad Me Time is. Even that long speech Sonny gave at the end of the movie is not that heartening to salvage the entire mishap. Perhaps Hart should stick to dramas liked Fatherhood or The Upside to sustain his acting career and not a haphazard comedy about poop, vomit and masturbation.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee