Friday After Next is a 2002 American stonercomedy film directed by Marcus Raboy and starring Ice Cube (who also wrote the film), Mike Epps (in a dual role), John Witherspoon, Don "D.C." Curry, Anna Maria Horsford, and Clifton Powell. It is the third installment in the Friday trilogy as tells the story of Craig and his cousin Day-Day getting jobs as security guards at a shopping center when a robber dressed as Santa Claus breaks into their apartment and steals their presents and the rent money that is to be given to their landlady. The film was theatrically released on November 22, 2002, to generally negative reviews.
Plot
On the early morning of Christmas Eve, a robber disguised as Santa Claus breaks into Craig and Day-Day's apartment. Craig tries to fend him off, while making failed frantic calls to a sleeping Day-Day. The robber escapes with Craig and Day-Day's Christmas presents and rent money. Craig and Day-Day then file a police report.
After the police leave, Craig and Day-Day are confronted by their landlady Ms. Pearly, who warns them that if they do not pay their overdue rent by the end of the day, she will evict them and send her son Damon, a newly released ex-convict who developed homosexual tendencies in prison, after them. Craig and Day-Day then start their first day jobs as security guards for Moly, who is the owner of a squalid doughnut shop and the shopping center that they are to patrol.
The shopping center is also the home of a BBQ rib restaurant called "Bros. BBQ", co-owned by the cousins' fathers Willie and Elroy. Shortly after they come on duty, the power goes to Day-Day's head, and he begins hassling some carolers, forcing Craig to keep him in line. The two and Elroy are then robbed by the same robber from their apartment, who gets away. The two then meet Donna and her pimp Money Mike, who run a fledgling shop called 'Pimps and Hoes'.
Soon after, a couple of drug-addicts try to shoplift from Money Mike's store, but Craig and Day-Day catch them and turn them over to the police. Mike offers them a cash reward, but Craig refuses it and instead invites him to his and Day-Day's Christmas Eve party.
As Craig and Day-Day are on their lunch break, a gang of thugs (the grandsons of the carolers that Day-Day earlier ran off) chase after them. After failing to catch them, the thugs beat up Moly for supposedly hiding them, resulting in Craig and Day-Day getting fired, despite being on their break at the time. As revenge, Willie calls the Department of Health on Moly.
Later that night, Craig and Day-Day convert their Christmas Eve party into a rent party to recoup their stolen rent money. Many of Craig and Day-Day's friends and family show up including Money Mike and Donna, Day-Day's ex-boss Pinky, and Damon. While Money Mike is in the bathroom, he is confronted by Damon who attempts to sexually assault him, but fails when Money Mike crunches his testicles with pliers. With the bathroom occupied, Craig tells Willie to ask Ms. Pearly if he can use hers. Ms. Pearly attempts to seduce Willie, but Craig's mother Betty catches and attacks her. After Money Mike lets go of Damon, Damon chases him through the neighborhood after Donna drives off without him.
Craig and Day-Day see the robber, ambush him inside his hideout and chase him around the neighborhood, running into obstacles until he is eventually hit by Pinky's limousine. Craig and Day-Day retrieve their stolen rent money and Christmas presents, and tie the robber up on his roof, leaving him for the police.
Ms. Pearly calls the police on the party, but Craig and Day-Day buy them off with marijuana. Day-Day hooks up with two of Pinky's girls before Betty walks in on him. Craig convinces Donna to return to the party and the two end up having sex.
Cast
Ice Cube as Craig Jones, a slacker who gets a job as a security guard.
Bebe Drake as Ms. Pearly, Craig and Day-Day's landlady who likes Willie.
Terry Crews as Damon "Triple O.G." Pearly, the tough ex-con son of Mrs. Pearly who has homosexual tendencies.
Katt Williams as Money Mike, a pimp who runs a shop called "Pimps and Hoes".
Rickey Smiley as a robber Santa Claus that runs afoul of Craig and Day-Day.
Sommore as Cookie, a waitress at "Bros' BBQ" who is Elroy's latest girlfriend after he and Suga broke up.
K. D. Aubert as Donna, an employee of Money Mike who Craig falls for.
Maz Jobrani as Moly, the proprietor of a squalid doughnut shop called Holy Moly Doughnuts and property manager of the shopping center who Craig and Day-Day work for.
Delores Jones as Grandma Jones, the mother of Willie and Elroy and the grandmother of Craig and Day-Day who hasn't been acting normal ever since Willie slapped her on the head during a "Bros' BBQ" commercial due to the restaurant's catchphrase "Taste so good, makes you want to slap yo mama!"
Crystal Mattison as Mo' Wet, one of the girls that Pinky brings to Craig and Day-Day's rent party.
Trina McGee as Cinnamon, one of the girls that Pinky brings to Craig and Day-Day's rent party and considers her a "spice girl".
Nikki Davis as Lollipop, one of the girls that Pinky brings to Craig and Day-Day's rent party.
Lendell "Kebo" Keeble as C.W., Pinky's chauffeur.
Production
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Justin Pierce who played Craig and Day Day's friend Roach in Next Friday was originally written to be in this film working with Craig and Day Day as security guards, but committed suicide before filming began. Filming began on November 1, 2001, and wrapped in January 2002.
Reception
Box office
Friday After Next grossed $13 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office. It made $7.4 million in its second weekend (including $10.6 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), falling to sixth. It went on to gross $33.5 million worldwide.[3]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 26% based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 4.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "This Friday installment is more shapeless and stale than its predecessors."[4] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 35 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[5] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[6]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 2 out of 4 and wrote: "I guess there's an audience for it, and Ice Cube has paid dues in better and more positive movies ("Barbershop" among them). But surely laughs can be found in something other than this worked-over material. "[7]
Ernest Hardy of L.A. Weekly called it "Loud, chaotic and largely unfunny,"[8] and Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel wrote: "To call this film a lump of coal would only be to flatter it."[9]
Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave it a positive review: "Fast and raunchy, Friday After Next surely stands apart from other holiday-themed movies for its gleeful low-down humor and a raft of uninhibited characters involved in one outrageous predicament after another."[10]
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