.co.uk

Ice Cube is not a good actor -- in fact, he's a pretty bad actor -- and Friday doesn't contain much of a storyline, either. But it's a testament to the charisma of Chris Tucker as 'Smokey', the loud-mouth marijuana junkie, and John Witherspoon as the over-the-top father that Friday still manages to succeed with its audience. In most places, it's quite a funny Hip-Hop ghetto comedy.

Cube stars as Craig, a guy who somehow manages to get fired on his day off from work. Smokey stops by his house, acting as if he is saviour as he presents Craig with a freshly-rolled blunt: "Now I know you don't smoke weed, but I'm gonna get you high today. 'Cause it's Friday, you ain't got no job, and you ain't got shit to do." They proceed to get stoned, gawp at their luscious neighbour, and hide from the local bully Deebo (Tommy Lister Jr.) and drug pusher "Big Worm" all from the comfort of the front porch.

Friday never really goes anywhere or achieves anything. The point of the film is that it doesn't necessarily need a point (ironic?) as the audience is simply expected to sit there and chill, probably smoke a blunt, and have a good time laughing at the escapades of the characters on screen. Cube's dull, uninteresting performance aside, Tucker and Witherspoon bring the biggest laughs and make Friday a fairly entertaining ride for its duration.

It's primarily a film aimed at a black audience, which will make it a bit hit and miss particularly with those of Caucasian ethnicity. If the jokes don't go completely over your head, however, you might get some enjoyment out of Friday.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.