House Party Franchise (1990-2023)

House Party:

House Party is a light-hearted comedy that 100% screams 90s. While the introvert in me got anxiety from the party scenes, the party takes center stage for a large chunk of the film. Most comedies would spend 10 to 15 minutes tops on the big party scene. The whole premise is about getting to the party and having a great night despite countless hurdles. There were a few really good character moments but they didn’t come until the movie was nearly over. While I personally didn’t love the movie, this would definitely tickle the fancy of a lot of people. If you are interested, give it a watch. At worst, you will hit the credits and go “Meh, that was fine”.

Story - 15%

Characters - 16%

Pacing -15 %

Spectacle - 15%

Entertainment - 15%

Total score: 76%

House Party 2:

Such a step up from the first movie. There was still plenty of over-the-top humor but the characters actually go through a lot this time. The whole movie is about the idea of growing up and being mature, but not at the cost of what makes you, you. There was definitely more maturity to the story and it was nice to see Kid actually try to overcome the hurdles and do his best in school. This is a step in the right direction. It still has the silly humor, but brings real issues and drama to the forefront. The bullies are obnoxious as always. If you need a comedy with an actual decent story, watch this over the first one. Or watch both. They are equally mindless fun.

Story - 18%

Characters - 16%

Pacing - 14%

Spectacle - 15%

Entertainment - 17%

Total score: 80%

House Party 3:

This movie pushed the characters farther into their lives. Each movie was like a piece of their lives that everyone experiences the biggest change: High School, College, Adulthood/marriage. There were some funny moments, but it just wasn’t as solid as the second movie. The kids were honestly kind of obnoxious. All I can really say is the narrative is pushed further, but it is starting to get stale in concept by this point. It’s by no means a bad movie, just a step in the wrong direction.

Story - 15%

Characters - 16%

Pacing - 15%

Spectacle - 14%

Entertainment - 15%

Total score: 75%

House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute:

The fact this was a direct-to-video rather than a theatrical release is obvious. The plot was something a 12-year-old would write. It would not fly today because of how unapologetically offensive it is. The characters are over-the-top blahness. The B plot was more ridiculous than the main plot. It has the shortest runtime in the franchise but I wanted to turn it off eight minutes in. There were a few funny moments, but this played more like a crappy TV pilot for a comedy. Avoid this movie at all costs.

Story - 11%

Characters - 10%

Pacing - 8%

Spectacle - 10%

Entertainment - 10%

Total score: 49%

House Party 5: Tonight's the Night:

My complaints for this movie are similar to my complaints for the 4th movie. The whole thing is offensive and dumb. As I was watching, I realized it was made like a hybrid between a YouTuber-made film with the awful humor of those parody movies from the late 2000s. House Party as a franchise at this point was cashing in on the name and basic premise but without the genuineness of the characters. The first 3 movies, while not perfect, were bearable to watch and grew on you as you watched them. These direct-to-video movies were lazy. I will say, the toilet gag was pretty funny in this one. While not as bad as the 4th movie, this one is still a poor imitation of the original.

Story - 12%

Characters - 10%

Pacing - 8%

Spectacle - 13%

Entertainment - 12%

Total score: 55%

House Party (2023):

House Party was brought to our modern age and it was hit or miss. The story was a retread of the original, but the stakes are raised by throwing the party at Lebron’s. The first two-thirds of the movie were just fan service to the original movies from the bullies to the music dreams of the lead. The last act of the movie decided to jump the shark and oh my god, it became instantly so much better. It had some good jokes throughout, but the side quest in Act Three made the movie worth it. It was a fun modernization of House Party that could potentially bring the magic of the originals to a new, modern audience. Honestly, I didn’t even know there were 5 movies in this franchise prior to Wikipedia laying it out for me. It’s a fun comedy to watch if you just want to turn your mind off and enjoy nonsensical shenanigans.

Story - 15%

Characters - 16%

Pacing - 16%

Spectacle - 18%

Entertainment - 18%

Total score: 83%