I finally had time to watch 72 hours and I had a lot more fun than I thought..
Incoming, I was expecting another stereotypical Kevin Hart comedy characterized by loud jokes, wild parties and just plain chaos. I'm still surprised about how much I liked the chemistry between the characters, but it does have all that and more and It's not even an exceptionaly important story, but it's the people in it that make the ride worthwhile.
The film tells the story of Joe (Kevin Hart), 40-year-old advertising executive whose career is in jeopardy but He ends up in a group of guys almost five times his age in a bachelor party chat, and brings himself on a wild weekend in Miami to reconnect with an age younger audience and save his career with a hilarious miscommunication along the way.
I appreciated Joe because he doesn't come off as the hip-hopper of the group. In fact, most of the comedy is derived from the performance of his desperate efforts to fit in with a generation that is pretty unfamiliar to him. Kevin Hart does a wonderful job at this because there's a lot of insecurity going on in Joe's head, but most of the time it will be hidden. He's attempting to remain relevant and to make a point that he has what it takes, but to not appear 'old' in front of a crowd of 20-somethings but I'm not being mean, but there were times I felt bad for him because we all have felt like we don't fit in there at some point. The bachelor party crew was quite a good one too.
The glue that held the group together was Mason Gooding's groom-to-be. He was the most grown up guy in the crew which is weird, because I think Joe is supposed to be the grown up guy. I think my favorite character was the best man of Marcello Hernandez's. His energy was disorganized, uncoordinated, and totally erratic, which led to many of the movie's best moments. The group was full of fresh blood and charm from freshman Kam Patterson and Hunter's emotional vulnerability (Ben Marshall) made him more than just another party guy.
I liked Joe's colleague, Barry (Zach Cherry) too. He always brings a new comedy to Joes' already boulder of a problem. He thought that he was a good guy, but somehow was making it worse....
I'd like to see Jennifer (Teyana Taylor) get more screen time.... She is Joe's old girlfriend, and she is warm and stable for Joe but I felt like the movie could have delved into her relationship with Joe a bit further. It could have been a more emotional plot.
Then, there's the other characters that add to the madness. Andy Garcia's cartel boss was just as hilariously stupid as he could possibly be, and when Jaze (Michael Mando) showed up, he brought some much-needed tension. These characters take the film into even more over-the-top territory when you least expect it, after it seems to be getting a good dose of a basic bachelor-party comedy.
I think the chemistry between the cast was what really drove the film. It's obvious they enjoyed creating it and that that fun shows in the audience. Everything didn't land and some scenes were a bit too much, but I sure laughed a lot.
What makes 72 Hours a perfect comedy? No. Is it Kevin Hart's funniest film ever? Probably not. It's a fun and easy to watch film, though not very serious. It's a film that you watch after a hard day, when you just want to laugh a few times, and "have a weird experience, but don't think too much about it. At the end, I was not about to worry if the plot was all there. I was thinking about friendships, chaos, unexpected bonds that sprung up over one weekend, and how a small mistake in a group chat, totally altered Joe's life.
That's what I found enjoyable about 72 Hours.
Rating: 85/100