Ice Cube is back with most of the same crew from The Next Friday for the third film in the series, Friday After Next. While the laughs come quicker and easier in this third outing, the script is by far the weakest which brings the whole production down. The first film had so much originality going for it, plus a good story, that something like Friday After Next just pales in comparison. The characters are funny and have some good lines, but they really having little to do. A lot of the comedy seems forced, and way too much physical humor is thrown in to try and cover up the many potholes in the script.
Friday After Next takes place a bit after the second film. Seems Craig and Day-Day are sharing an apartment and getting ready to start a new job as security guards at a strip-mall. Crag's dad got them the job as he and his brother have a new BBQ restaurant open in the strip. Various characters and insults fly as the two screw up repeatedly. Given that a robber dressed as Santa robbed them of all their stuff on Christmas Eve, all they have left to do is earn some rent money and get ready for their Christmas Eve party.
Friday After Next is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. It is an Infinifilm release so you know it looks great. The biggest example of how good this film looks is its terrific rendering of the film's vivid color palette. Saturation levels are terrific to go along with good contrast and detailed sharpness. Depth is present in every scene, whether bright or dark. Shadow details are just as good as the well lit scenes. The print used is free of damage, nothing negative is ever spotted. Side two of the disc has a 4:3 version of the film, but without DTS or the Infinifilm features.
Friday After Next includes Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks. Both are very aggressive tracks that have a lot going on almost all the time. The surrounds are very active with lots of discrete effects sounds plus they boost the music soundtrack with quality bleed in from the fronts. The soundtrack is heavy on the bass, both with the effects and the songs. Dynamic range and fidelity levels are top notch with quality separation and solid imaging among all channels. The DTS gets the nod thanks to better LFE response. Dialogue remains clear even throughout everything that is going on.
As mentioned, Friday After Next is an Infinifilm release with a boat load of extras. Plenty of featurettes and two commentary tracks will give fans a lot to sit through.
Microphone Friend interviews some up and coming comedians from the Gotham Comedy Club. While not really relevant to the film, discussion of what it takes to make it big (and lots of wishing) is what gets covered.
It Was a Good Day examines all three films and provides some fun facts.
Ghetto Fabulous takes a look at the costumes the characters in the film wore.
The Pork Report is all about BBQ restaurants. No idea why it is here, but it is so enjoy it or skip it.
Next up are the audio commentaries. The first has director Marcus Raboy along with producer Matt Alvarez and Ice Cube. The second features actors Katt Williams, Anna Marie Horsford, Terry Crews, and K.D. Aubert.
More features begin with Hump Day, which is a documentary of sorts that lets us learn a bit about the actors involved with the film.
Holiday in the Hood shows details on scouting locations used in the film.
Next are 9 deleted scenes along with an extended ending. Post this is a gag reel, which is way better than just about any moment in the film, along with a music video and some trailers.
Friday After Next has substantially more laughs than the second film in the series. That said, the third entry isn't all that. Ice Cube goes more for the comedy himself and Epps is much better here than he was in the second Friday film or even in All About the Benjamins. What hurts this film is the script. They just need some better writing, as the cast has the talent. As for the DVD, it is a true winner in every department. The video, the audio, and almost all the extras a hit. Fans of the series will get a lot out of the disc.
