72 Hours Review: Kevin Hart Drags Down Netflix's Midlife Crisis Comedy

Once again collaborating with director Tim Story, Kevin Hart features in 72 Hours, which is a comedy movie on Netflix. The movie stars Marcello Hernández, Mason Gooding, Teyana Taylor and Ben Marshall. 72 Hours revolves around the story of an advertising executive whose life hits rock bottom when he falls into a group chat full of teenagers from generation Z. There is a lot of scope for comedy in this plot. However, the execution does not do justice to the comedy part as the movie fails to live up to its promises. Although the younger actors have shown some good comedy in the movie, the screenplay is somewhat weak.

72 Hours Movie Details

72 Hours Story Overview

It involves Joe (played by Kevin Hart), who is 40 years old, a marketing executive whose career, which was once successful, seems to have hit rock bottom. With the hopes that a vacation will be the inspiration behind his next marketing campaign, he is surprised when he finds himself tagged in a group chat for a bachelor’s party in Miami. A group of people younger than him goes on vacation with him thinking he may find inspiration to get his career back on track through this vacation that he is going on with a group of strangers.

72 Hours Review: Funny Setup, Familiar Comedy

The movie 72 Hours opens with an interesting premise that can be considered modern-day comedy. The conflict between an older businessman and a bunch of young and lively people gives rise to a number of amusing scenes, particularly at the beginning of the film. Nevertheless, the screenplay fails to develop an interesting idea properly. Most of the comedy elements involve usual Kevin Hart characteristics, and some of the jokes become quite predictable. As the movie progresses, the wild bachelor party gets more and more ridiculous, which turns the film into a series of comedy sketches. Young actors bring life into the film and provide most of the humor. However, the plot starts losing its direction as it moves towards an extravagant ending that does not work out in the end.

Supporting Cast Outshines Kevin Hart

Although Kevin Hart is full of energy throughout the movie, his act is hardly ever original. The same old jokes and exaggerated responses are all too common, and therefore make Joe rather unappealing to the audience. The biggest attraction of the entire movie is Marcello Hernández. This young man seems to have a natural flair for comedy, and brings it everywhere he goes. Mason Gooding and Ben Marshall are also responsible for adding their fair share of humor to the movie, while Teyana Taylor makes the best of what could have been a far better role.

Music and Visual Appeal

Tim Story makes sure that the movie remains visually colorful throughout, making great use of Miami’s beaches, nightlife, and fun party culture. The camera work is suited well to the fun nature of the movie while the lively soundtrack fits nicely with the quick comedic pace. The editing keeps up a good pace, although certain sequences go on unnecessarily long. The technical elements of the movie are well done but ultimately cannot save a poorly written movie.

What Are the Weak Points?

• Predictable Humor
• Repetitive Gags
• Weak Screenplay
• Forced Comedy

Is 72 Hours Worth Watching?

Watch it if you:

• Enjoy Kevin Hart
• Like buddy comedies
• Want light entertainment
• Prefer easy watches

Skip it if you:

• Expect fresh comedy
• Want smart satire
• Prefer original stories
• Dislike crude humour

Final Verdict

72 Hours has a fun concept and an engaging supporting cast, but never manages to utilise these qualities fully. There are some laughs to be had, but its formulaic approach to comedy and heavy reliance on Kevin Hart's usual comedic formula prevent it from standing out as a great comedy film. If one is in search of a fun film to spend their weekend watching, then 72 Hours fulfils that requirement. However, those expecting a novel and very humorous Netflix comedy will be disappointed.

Rating: 2.5/5

Overall, 72 Hours is a decent one-time watch that benefits from its younger cast but is weighed down by an uneven screenplay and recycled humour.