Class Act
(1992/Warner Archives DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C- Film: C-
After
much success as Hip Hop/Pop performers and in their House Party films, Christopher ‘Kid” Reid and Christopher ‘Play’
Martin reteamed for one last film in the highly predictable, formulaic Class Act in 1992. It turned out to be the final act as this
preposterous mistaken identity would-be comedy plays badly form beginning got
end, only saved by a little bit of ambition to be a little classy. Unfortunately, the original idea was so
played out, that it rightly bombed.
It does
have a notable cast including Loretta Devine, Meshach Taylor, Rhea Perlman,
Doug E. Doug and Alysia Rogers, but Pauly
Shore shows up and if
that is not the kiss of death, who knows what is. Running a very long 98 minutes, the duo
should have made something different instead of playing it safe, but no matter
the songs on the soundtrack, this was rightly their swan song and they could
all fade-to-wack at this point. The film
just faded quickly after hitting theaters, so they just made a third House Party film after and that was it.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is not bad, but can be soft and
unusually grainy in scenes, but this is a decent transfer just the same, while
the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has some Pro Logic surrounds, but is also a little
weak and compressed, foiling the soundstage.
The only extra is a trailer.
- Nicholas Sheffo
