John Hamburg (Meet the Parents) wrote and directed Me Time, which stars Hollywood heavyweights Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg in a slapstick comedy and high-jinks-filled friendship devoid of chemistry. Hamburg is well-known for his humorous writing. The same is true for Wahlberg and Hart, but the trio as a whole produced something uttеrly false. In the movie, Regina Hall has a prominent role but is largely confined to a supporting role as the controlling partner. The film’s lack of humour and the fact that viewers had to endure every uncomfortable scene until the credits roll are truly astounding.
The film opens with Sonny Fisher (Hart) and Huck Dembo (Wahlberg) enjoying the latter’s 29th birthday in Moab, Utah. It premieres on Netflix on Friday. As could be predicted, Sonny experiences a bizarre incident, which becomes the basis of their friendship. After fifteen years, Sonny is a homemaker who leads the PTA and does the cleaning and cooking. The family’s primary provider, architect Maya (Hall), is his spouse. Huck, who still hangs out with individuals in their 20s, is celebrating his 44th birthday with another birthday party. Sonny is reluctant to leave because he is now a family guy. Nevertheless, because he doesn’t have a life outside of his family, everyone around him can see that he needs a break.
Maya makes the decision to leave him home by himself while she takes the kids on vacation, telling him to make the most of life. He visits the strip club, the golf course, and restaurants with friends, but he’s not happy. Finally making contact with Huck, Sonny chooses to attend the birthday party. But Huck hasn’t been telling the trutҺ—dangerous individuals are after him and he’s had financial difficulties. He brought it on himself, having been so carefree about his party lifestyle and extravagant spending. At this point, Sonny realises that partying isn’t as fun as it first seems.
For middle-aged males, Me Time is one of those coming-of-age tales. Sonny starts to investigate his identity since he is unsure about it outside of his family. He sets out on a voyage of discovery that ought to be humorous, but it’s just more of Hart and Wahlberg’s tired routine. Me Time is uninteresting because, despite a few amusing moments, the entire thing feels like déjà vu—you’ve seen these identical performances in other films. If the movie was enjoyable, it wouldn’t be such a chore; instead, it would have substance instead of feelings. Though it’s hidden among antiquated humour and fаrt jokes, there is trutҺ to the movie’s overarching concept of not judging a book by its cover and how one doesn’t have to look far for happiness.
To be honest, I didn’t go into any Kevin Hart flicks expecting anything profound, but I did hope for a few giggles. Me Time, with Hamburg’s screenplay and the shaky performances of the major cast, is just another Hollywood void movie that will soon be forgotten. I can’t get back the hour and forty-four minutes of “me time” since it’s arrogant and dry.
