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Parents' Guide to

House Party 3

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Worst movie in the trilogy; dated humor, sex, swearing.

Movie R 1994 100 minutes
House Party 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In HOUSE PARTY 3, Kid (Christopher Reid) and Play (Christopher Martin) are growing up. Kid is getting married to Veda, even as Veda harbors suspicions that Kid may still have feelings for his ex-girlfriend Sydney. For his part, Play is trying to find success in the business side of the music business, as he tries to convince a new female singing group named Sex as a Weapon that he should manage them. He's also trying to plan the most epic bachelor party he possibly can pull off for Kid, and must keep three younger cousins who have arrived from Detroit (a hip-hop act called Immature) from getting into trouble. Meanwhile, Kid hasn't convinced Veda's cousin and best friend Janelle that he's ready to make a lifetime commitment, and Veda's family are skeptical as to whether or not Kid can provide financial stability for Veda. Suspicions grow stronger when Sydney comes back to town from Washington, DC. Things go from bad to worse when the kids in Immature hijack the bachelor party as revenge for Play not allowing them to perform at the party, and Play's cousin Stinky invites only heavyset women to the party. As Play tries figuring out what to do about the party, he has also incurred the wrath of a hot-tempered promoter named Showboat, and must find a way to placate him. For his part, Kid must find a way to survive the night of his bachelor party, prove to Veda that he's ready to marry her, and tie the knot the very next day.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is yet another third movie in a trilogy that's the worst of the three. House Party 3 is especially disappointing because, after the positive messages espoused in House Party 2 about activism, education, and feminism, this movie opts to forget all that in favor of jokes at the expense of women (particularly heavyset women) and the elderly and visually impaired, among other easy and lazy jokes.

The funniest scenes, if not the only funny scenes, involve Bernie Mac as Uncle Vester. He steals every scene he's in, taking this randy ranting character to the max, effortlessly riffing so many jokes, you almost wish the movie was centered on him instead of Kid and Play. It's a dated '90s movie, but not the good kind of dated '90s movie. Some of the musical interludes are fun, but they don't overcome everything else that's wrong with this sequel that probably never should have been made.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sequels like House Party 3. Why are sequels, especially the third sequel in a trilogy, almost never as good as the movies that came before it? What are some examples?

  • In what ways is the movie dated? Are there any parts of it that have held up?

  • How are women represented in the movie?

Movie Details

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