Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Next Friday'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; making a sequel to an iconic comedy is always a risky venture, because so much can go wrong when it comes to part two. The new storyline may not work for the audience in the slightest, or the movie might end up becoming a grand re-hash of the original or to make matters worse; this new tale may take far too many risks storytelling wise, to the point where we are left with a movie that barely resembles the franchise we fell in love with.
 
But sometimes, the next entry in a saga can actually turn out to be quite the impressive venture, provided of course the right care goes into the screenplay and the right balance can be found so that the fans get everything they love about the original, all while they are treated to something new and exciting for their favorite characters. And recently, I took the time to revisit a sequel that not only holds a flame to its iconic predecessor, but it also managed to take the franchise in a bold new direction in Next Friday.
 
Now, this is another film that really doesn’t need to have its plot discussed here, simply because if you’re reading this, you’ve seen Next Friday and know what’s up. So instead, I really want to take the time to talk about what makes this sequel so great because it should by all accounts be a failure through and through. I mean come on, the movie is Smokey-free, it’s set in an entirely different place and all of that is normally a recipe for disaster, yet, this movie is beloved by fans everywhere, thanks in large part to Ice Cube’s stellar screenplay for the film.
 
Because it’s clear that he understands that memorable characters are king and that’s where this film excels, despite not having Smokey around. Instead, we are introduced a new world of quirky people, who provide us with some damn hilarious moments and their genuine and relatable feel instantly transports us back into this world and by having the connective tissue of Deebo and Mr. Jones present, it gives this motion picture a seamless feel and let’s be honest, it’s a damn funny flick as well. Plenty of the jokes here stick with you long after the movie comes to an end, and thanks to this movie, I can’t hear the words ‘Aztec Warrior’ in the same sentence without cracking up.
 
If anything, this motion picture really is an exception to the sequel rule and I’m glad that it is because the Friday saga truly is something special through and through and it’s great that this one feels like a logical progression to the overall story and that it’s just a joy to watch every single time I pop it in. Either way, this is another one that needs to be seen and owned and if you haven’t seen this one out of the worry that it might not be as good as the first one, then shake that worry aside and settle in for quite the hilarious ride because Next Friday is just an utter delight.  

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