Who's Ready for a House Party? A Film Review
By Jhazzmyn Jhane
Spoiler Alert!
Strap in your seatbelt, we’re going on a wild ride to some of the most epic house parties ever thrown. House Party (1990) and House Party (2023) are two movies that contain fly fashion, adventure, and parties that everyone’s bound to discuss for weeks to come. Also, I should mention that both movies have great playlists! I know all the moviegoers saw me jamming when I went to see the new House Party. I have no shame about it.
House Party (1990) was directed by Reginald Hudlin and produced by Warrington Hudlin. It stars Christopher Reid as Christopher ‘Kid’ Harris, Christopher Martin as Play, Tisha Campbell as Sydney, A.J. Johnson as Sharane, Martin Lawrence as Bilal (the DJ), and Rob Harris as Pop. It gives us all of the 90s vibes from the high-top fades to the rap battle to the fashion (yes,Tisha in the yellow overalls and purple cropped top). Calmatic directs House Party (2023), and it was produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. The story is by Reginald Hudlin. It stars Jacob Latimore as Kevin, Tosin Cole as Damon, D.C. Young Fly as Vic (the DJ), Karen Obilom as Venus, and Shakira Ja’nai Paye as Mika. This movie includes an all-star cast with many celebrities making cameos as themselves (i.e. Mýa, Tinashe, Big Sean, etc.). LeBron James is a large part of the movie, though we only see him a couple of times throughout.
Some things that were similar in both movies include the setting (L.A.), having three bullies, the dance-off between the guys and girls, the 3 friends who work together to host and DJ the party, and the fine women. The dance scene in both movies is one of my favorite scenes. Seeing how dance moves have changed from the 90s to now is such a cool moment. Imagine what moves we’ll be busting out 10 years from now (something that I probably won’t be able to do). There’s also the element of the nosy neighbor. However, the 1990 version starring John Witherspoon as Play’s neighbor, Mr. Strickland, portrays him as a bothered surveyor of the party next door who decides to call the police since the noise is keeping him up. The 2023 version stars Andrew Santino as LeBron’s interesting white neighbor who has a pet koala.
Now for the differences. Both movies take us on a day-long adventure, but the storylines differ. The 1990 version follows Kid who wants to go to his best friend Play’s party, which he is throwing while his parents are out of town. However, Kid gets into a fight with some bullies at school. When his dad gets the pink slip, he gets grounded. Determined to make it to the party, he sneaks out. Along the way, he has to deal with racially profiling cops, the same bullies from school, and some guy who can be seen making love through his curtainless window who has a gun (yikes). When he finally makes it to the party, he has a blast. He even ends up with a pretty girl from his school. His adventure doesn’t end at the house party, though. So many things happen on his way home, including going to jail.
The storyline of this newer version follows friends, Kevin (the serious one) and Damon (the slacker), who are both working a cleaning job at a mansion. They aren’t immediately aware of who owns the house. Once they discover that they’re in LeBron’s house, and that he’s on a two-week meditation retreat, they decide to host a party there. They both need the money, especially Kevin who has a child, and Damon hopes to make a name for himself as a party promoter. They contact people they know as well as celebrities they find on LeBron’s tablet to invite them to this epic house party. The night gets wild as the party gets out of hand, their DJ, Vic, smokes weed with a Koala, and they go to an Illuminati event with Kid Cudi to retrieve LeBron’s stolen ring.
I love the sense of adventure in both movies and some of the obstacles that are faced by the main characters. It draws the audience in and makes them want to go on this adventure, too. Another interesting moment that drummed up the drama in the 2023 version of the movie that was not in the original is the fight between Kevin and Damon. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat. There was so much tension. I thought the addition of this scene lent itself well to the movie. Friends often have disagreements. So, this felt like a real-life moment. Kevin is stressed while Damon is trying to enjoy the night and that leads to confrontation. However, they make up and work together to try and regain order and fix any messes that were made.
The endings are also different, though both are funny. In the 1990 version, Kid sneaks back into the house hoping that his father is asleep and oblivious to his sneaking out. His dad has a little surprise for him. In the 2023 version, LeBron returns home earlier that expected, there’s a basketball match, and someone goes to jail, which is one thing that both movies have in common. Both endings suited each movie and their respective storylines.
I love both movies. I may love this 2023 version a bit more, though. Probably, in part, because some aspects of the story are so ludicrous. I also enjoyed seeing the 2023 version pay homage to the original with a cameo from Kid ‘N Play and by having a scene where Damon and Kevin watch Martin Lawrence in LeBron’s in-home theatre. I enjoy seeing little gems like that in movies. Why not pay respect to the ones who did it first? Well, I’m off to watch these two movies again and take some major notes so that I can plan a house party that’s just as epic. Stay tuned!
Meet the Writer
Jhazzmyn has a B.S. in Literature, Media, and Communication from Georgia Tech and an M.A. in Gerontology from Georgia State. She is a poet, gerontologist, and communicator, in no particular order. She works for the Alzheimer’s Association. Jhazzmyn enjoys spending time with loved ones and taking walks.
