Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Raunchy but funny stand-up movie has swearing, racy stories.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Kevin Hart: What Now?
What's the Story?
Filmed the night that comedian Kevin Hart sold out Philadelphia's 53,000-seat Lincoln Financial Field, KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW? captures the motor-mouthed comic live on stage. Delving into topics like his fears that his children are being "wrecked" by private schools, the wildlife in his yard, and his relationship with his fiancee, Hart keeps the huge crowd laughing. No holds are barred when he talks about his sex life, what a man with no knees might look like making love to his wife, and how he handles stains in his underwear.
Is It Any Good?
Hart takes center stage in this funny, profane concert film that's likely to please existing fans and make him some new ones. Now well into his successful comedy career, Hart is pleasingly upfront about both the "big celebrity" part of his life and his "average guy" home life in What Now? . Relating a story about a time he urgently had to use the bathroom in an airport, he confesses exactly why he doesn't want to go: "My biggest fear: Somebody snapping a picture of me going in or coming out and hashtagging it 'KevinHartstinkybutt.'"
Hart's family-life stories sometimes skate close to the edge -- one vivid anecdote captures a night he got spooked by a horror film and fled the house without his kids -- but also reveal him as a loving, present dad, which makes it easier for anyone likely to be easily offended to handle jokes about his dad's wheelchair-bound girlfriend and how quickly he'd break up with his fiancee if she were mauled by an animal. Hart's comedy is profane but rarely cruel, and though parents may not like younger teens watching due to the swearing and sexual content, if they do see it, they won't absorb harmful messages.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Kevin Hart's many references to drinking in What Now?. Does he make it sound appealing, or a problem? Does it change your perspective at all to find out that Hart was arrested on a DUI charge in April 2013?
Does Hart use stereotypes in his act, especially when it comes to women? Is it OK to use stereotypes for humor? Do you think women are likely to find Hart's jokes as funny as men?
Are Hart's sexual references funny? Would you be uncomfortable watching this movie with your grandmother or younger sibling? Why or why not? Should sex always be a serious topic?
How did it make you feel when Hart poked fun at those with physical differences? Is that acceptable in the name of humor? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 14, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : January 10, 2017
- Cast : Kevin Hart
- Directors : Leslie Small , Tim Story
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some sexual material, and language throughout
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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