Best Man Holiday - DVD Review

Details: By Michelle Duy; 02 April 2014

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It ain’t a Christmas party until someone breaks an iPhone. If that’s true, then the couples in The Best Man Holiday had a crazy good time—they even threw in a smashed iPad, to boot.

The rowdy revelers were first introduced to audiences back in 1999, in the romantic comedy The Best Man. For those who don’t know or remember who’s who, the sequel begins with a crash course in Where Are They Now? Writer Harper (Taye Diggs) lost his faculty position and needs another bestseller, especially since his wife Robyn (Sanaa Lathan) is pregnant with their first child. Lance (Morris Chestnut) faces his own professional challenge: with his retirement from the New York Giants looming, he wants to make the playoffs, as well as break a rushing record of 176 yards. Lance and his saintly wife Mia (Monica Calhoun), who harbors a tragic secret, bring the whole group back together when they host the holiday in their sprawling New York mansion. Murch (Harold Perrineau) now runs a charter school. But his biggest donor has just withdrawn support, due to a scandalous YouTube video featuring Murch’s wife Candy (Regina Hall). Jordan (Nia Long) is a successful TV executive whose white boyfriend raises eyebrows. Bad boy Quentin (Terrence Howard) has probably changed the least. Fourteen years later, he still sums up his three life principles as “money, bitches and p—y-slash-gettin’-head.” Lastly, Quentin’s female counterpart Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) stars on the Real Housewives of Westchester and spends her time flirting with the men, creating tension with the women and spouting her catchphrase, “Don’t hate. Emulate.”

That’s right, there are no fewer than 9 characters to keep track of—their backstories, career crises and increasingly complex relationships. It’s one reason why the movie’s 2-hour running time seems necessary: it takes a while just to get everyone straight. Once we get caught up, though, the plot goes straight for TV movie territory. Angelic Mia is dying of cancer. Furthermore, Lance’s big game falls on Christmas Day. There’s also a scene where Robyn goes into labor but can’t get to the hospital in time. The baby must be delivered en route; it’s a risky breech birth; etc. You’ll roll your eyes at the predictability.

Like many Christmas movies, The Best Man Holiday has a spiritual theme (which seems incongruous with its bawdier moments). Lance often refers to God and prayer, while former atheist Harper respects Lance’s faith, even if he doesn’t quite share it. But you can’t help questioning the God portrayed here, who willingly intervenes in a football game but not at all in matters of life and death.

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MPAA Rating: R for language, sexual content and brief nudity.
Runtime: 123 mins
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Writer: Malcolm D. Lee
Cast: Monica Calhoun, Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Sousa
Genre: Comedy | Romance
Tagline: Times change. Friendship doesn't.
Memorable Movie Quote: "True, but she's not some ideal from a piece of fiction. Now, her man, on the other hand, is iconic. Mmm. If I went that way, that's what I'd get. A tall, vanilla swagger latte. I like, I like, I like."
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Best-Man/461230543955194
Release Date: November 15, 2013
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: February 11, 2014
Synopsis: After nearly 15 years apart, Taye Diggs (televisions Private Practice), Nia Long (Soul Food), Morris Chestnut (Kick-Ass 2), Harold Perrineau (Zero Dark Thirty), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Sanaa Lathan (Contagion), Monica Calhoun (Love & Basketball), Melissa De Sousa (Miss Congeniality) and Regina Hall (Scary Movie franchise) reprise their career-launching roles in The Best Man Holiday, the long-awaited next chapter to the film that ushered in a new era of comedy. When the college friends finally reunite over the Christmas holidays, they will discover just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and romances to be ignited. Malcolm D. Lee returns to write and direct this sequel to his directorial debut. Sean Daniel (The Mummy franchise) will produce alongside Lee for The Sean Daniel Company.

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Best Man Holiday - DVD Review

DVD Details:

Available on DVD/Blu-ray - February 11, 2014
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: Spanish
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Discs: Single disc (1 DVD)

The DVD special features are typical: a brief making-of featurette, a gag reel and a very thorough director’s commentary. Here, Malcolm D. Lee (cousin of Spike) reveals that he initially had even more material. The final 2-hour-4-minute version came about only after much editing. From his nonstop monologue, we get the sense that he really loves his characters, which makes up for some of the film’s weaker points. Still, the commentary is for fans only. Near the end, Malcolm hints at the possibility of a third movie in the Best Man franchise. Here’s hoping that one will be less melodramatic.