House Party (1990)
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96% of critics liked it
(24 reviews) -
73% of users liked it
(37,810 ratings)
House Party is an infectious, engaging comedy starring the rap duo Kid 'N Play. Kid (Christopher Reid) decides to throw a party where he plans to blow the roof off the joint with his rhyming skills, so he and his friend Play (Christopher Martin) throw a huge party while Play's parents are… More House Party is an infectious, engaging comedy starring the rap duo Kid 'N Play. Kid (Christopher Reid) decides to throw a party where he plans to blow the roof off the joint with his rhyming skills, so he and his friend Play (Christopher Martin) throw a huge party while Play's parents are away. The day of the party, Kid is grounded by his father (Robin Harris) and he has to sneak out of the house to get to the party, where he is confronted by several rival rappers, as well as a bevy of adoring girls. Though House Party follows a standard plot-line straight out of the '50s rock & roll films, the script is inventive, providing many different twists and turns, while Reginald Hudlin's direction is assured and very, very funny. Kid 'N Play are both terrific, but the true standout is legendary comedian Robin Harris in one of his few screen roles. House Party later spawned two sequels and an animated television series. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Directed By
- Reginald Hudlin
- Genres
- Comedy
- In Theaters
- Mar 9, 1990 Wide
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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, Time Out
Clearly this is no masterpiece, but as its US reception indicated, it is a product overdue in the market, and it compares well with its anaemic counterparts.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
All of the performances are good and the soundtrack pulses with humor as well as decibels.
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Hal Hinson, Washington Post
House Party isn't a great movie, but it's heartfelt and enormously winning.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
[It's] fast-moving, never dull, extremely funny, and manages to touch, with lighthearted (and R-rated) profundity on almost every youthful issue you can imagine, including police harassment, teenage sex, the all-too-easy road to jail and alcohol drinking.
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Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
There's a lot more energy and social reality in this picture than one is accustomed to finding in teen exploitation movies; the cutting is often dynamic, and Hudlin generally does a good job of keeping things moving.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Christopher "Kid" Reid
as Kid
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Christopher "Play" Martin
as Play
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Robin Harris
as Pop
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Martin Lawrence
as Bilal
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Tisha Campbell
as Sidney
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Adrienne-Joi Johnson
as Sharane
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Paul Anthony
as Stab
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B-Fine
as Zilla
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Leah Aldridge
as Benita
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Shaun Baker
as Clint
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Verda Bridges
as Sharane's Sister
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Jaime Cardriche
as Tattoo
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D-Zire
as Girl No. 1
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Barry Diamond
as Cop #1
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Norma Donaldson
as Mildred
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Ellaraino
as Sidney's Mom
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Bentley Evans
as Tall Teen
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Edith Fields
as Principal
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Alexander Folk
as Guard
- Full Force
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Val Gamble
as La Shay
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Cedrick Hardman
as Rock
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Randy Harris
as Roughouse
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Stan Haze
as Hatchett
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Rodney Hill
as Albert
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Desi Arnez Hines II
as Peanut
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Myra J.
as Guest
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Anthony Johnson
as E.Z.E.
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George Logan
as Pimp
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Bowlegged Lou
as Pee Wee
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Richard McGregor
as Evrette
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Diana Mendoza
as Lover
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Belal Miller
as Herman
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Kelly Jo Minter
as La Donna
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Michael Pniewski
as Cop #2
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Clifton Powell
as Sharane's Brother
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Ronn Riser
as Guy
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J. Jay Saunders
as Sidney's Dad
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Kimi Sung
as Sunni
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Lou D. Washington
as Uncle Otis
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Barry Wiggins
as Waiter
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Chino "Fats" Williams
as Fats
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John Witherspoon
as Mr. Strickland
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Eugene Allen
as Groove
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Warrington Hudlin
as Burglar #2
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Daryl Mitchell
as Chill
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Cliff Frazier
as Brutus
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Bebe Drake
as Mrs. Strickland
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George Clinton
as D.J.
- A.J. Johnson
- Tisha Campbell-Martin
- Christopher Martin
