1 out 5 stars
Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg have wanted to work together for a long time. The two have been friends for many years. Yet, it may surprise many that they have never starred alongside one another in a feature film, despite having produced similar content over the years. Both actors have their brighter career moments, but often they default to just playing exaggerated versions of themselves in bland comedies.
In this latest Netflix production, we follow Sonny (Hart), a stay-at-home dad who finds himself with the first "me time" in years while his wife and kids are away. After lots of prompting, he reconnects with his former best friend Huck (Wahlberg) for a wild birthday weekend filled with chaos and crazy hi-jinks. Huck is notorious for throwing annual birthday extravaganzas that have ranged from wingsuit jumping in Ohio to blacking out in the middle of Mexico and seems to have never grown up. On the other hand, Sonny is a self-serious father who’s moved on, gotten married, had kids, and just wants to live his life without making a scene.
Once the pair reunites, Huck’s plans spiral out from skinny-dipping in Tijuana to a tour bus with matching jumpsuits which arrives at a burning man-esque desert party. This event features a mountain lion attack and a reprisal attack from Huck’s former employer (Jimmy O. Yang), complete with a flamethrower. Things only get more stupid from there as Huck encourages Sonny to cut loose and enjoy his ‘me time’. This includes breaking in and vandalising his wife’s (Regina Hall) client’s home, who Sonny believes is trying to seduce her. Then they attend a house party rager, attended by other school parents, and his babysitter, who happens to be a stripper.
Me Time is a cliched, stereotypical Netflix studio buddy comedy, that is idiotic and needlessly crude. It’s an incredibly worldly film with schoolyard pick-up conversations between parents representing various alternative family structures, frequent appeals to live your best life and be true to yourself. In a movie titled, Me Time, it’s no surprise that the film is individualistic and self-gratifying. While its buddy comedy core aims to develop a caring relationship between Sonny and Huck, both are likely better off without each other. The film's culmination brushes over much of the character development and leaves the two as man-children, rather than adjusted adults.
Neither Kevin Hart nor Mark Wahlberg brings their comedic a-game, delivering unfunny performances that feel lazy and formulaic. There’s a very, very loose smattering of mildly comedic moments, and the number of jokes that fall flat or go way too long easily outnumber the quality ones. Not even a surprise Seal cameo complete with musical number can salvage the film, which just drags on and on.
Overall, it’s an unfunny, crude, dumb, really ‘meh’ time. There’s plenty of unnecessary sexual content, crass language, and dumb situations to justify leaving this film on your unwatched list.
The word becomes film
Russ Matthews' new book is a modern-day parable that introduces a radically easy way of talking about God’s story
If you order the book today you will also receive a complementary study guide that is only available with the purchase of the book (Print or ebook)
Reel Dialogue: The merits of having “me time”
In a world filled with so many stressors, and with mental health continuing to be an aspect of many people’s lives, the need to draw away, have ‘me time’ and self-care continues to grow in importance. Me Time presents a very self-gratifying and selfish view of experiencing me time with the goal of hedonistic fulfilment.
A better option to consider is that of the sabbath’s rest presented in the Bible. Many figures throughout Scripture undertook the solitary “me time” from Moses, to David, to Elijah, to Jesus, to Paul. For each of these men, their “me time” often consisted of prayer, sometimes fasting, sleep, and meditation on God’s Word. This kind of selfless rest and self-care truly restores, not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. If you feel worn out and need some ‘me time’, don’t turn to distractions or things that will numb you. Instead, turn to God and spend ‘me time’ with Him, and He will restore you.
“And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” - Mark 6:31
