Friday (Movie Review)

One of the surprise comedies of 1995, Friday features the antics of two guys in Los Angeles who decide to spend a day hanging out on their porch and wasting away the day. With a well-selected cast, the characters in Friday are some of the most eccentric and outrageous persons that can be found in any movie. A lot can happen in the neighborhood on any given day, and best friends Craig and Smokey get to see it all. And along the way, they learn a few lessons about life...

When Craig Jones (Ice Cube) gets fired from his job, his dogcatcher father (John Witherspoon) pressures him to spend the day looking for a new job - "The word of the day, Craig is job - J-O-B. Job!" But Craig doesn't feel like looking for a job just yet, and when his best friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) pays a visit to the house, a day of doing nothing becomes an absolute certainty. With both his parents away at work, Craig and Smokey hang out on the front porch of the Jones house where they observe the strange behavior of the various eccentric characters who live in their neighborhood.

Encouraging Craig to try some weed for the first time, Smokey involves Craig in a personal dispute with local drug dealer Big Worm (Faizon Love) who accuses Smokey (one of his dealers) of smoking up his product. Smokey denies the allegation and agrees to pay Big Worm $200 later that night. Big Worm says if he doesn't get his money by then, he'll kill Smokey and Craig...

When Craig finds out what happened, he's furious. As he and Smokey attempt to figure out a way to get the $200, they get sidetracked by a number of different people. Among them are Deebo (Tom 'Tiny' Lister), the neighborhood bully who no one will challenge, Mrs. Parker (Kathleen Bradley), the exhibitionist neighbor who Craig and Smokey fantasize about, Felisha (Angela Means), a drug-addicted neighbor with no job, Ezal (Anthony Johnson), the neighborhood crack addict, and an assorted barrage of other characters and Janet Jackson look-alikes...

When Craig's current girlfriend gets angry because he talks to another woman, he pursues Debbie (Nia Long), a much more desirable girl in his mother's eyes. But as the end of the evening nears, Big Worm sends his minions after Craig and Smokey, and Craig ends up in a personal showdown with Deebo. Will Craig use a gun to get rid of Deebo, or will he fight it out like a man?

A hilarious comedy, Friday is a non-stop series of laughs. Chris Tucker's overpowering screen presence literally makes this film. Without him, Friday would be little more than a humdrum bore. In fact, if one were to read the script alone, it's extremely doubtful that any director or producer would bite. But when Tucker reads the lines, they take on a life of their own. Tucker is just plain funny - a hilarious comic who can draw an audience with his personality alone. Also of note - don't watch Friday on basic cable or any other medium that will water down the dialogue and edit it down to nothing. One can't experience the true film unless it's watched uncut. Otherwise, it's not funny at all, with or without Chris Tucker. Overall, this is a unique and different film. A comedy with its own personal identity. And for that reason, Friday is a must-see film. Try not to miss it...

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