Comedic superstar Kevin Hart teams up with Mark Wahlberg for Me Time, his latest project from Netflix. John Hamburg writes and directs the film, which tells the story of an all-around super dad who gets a chance to have a weekend to himself for the first time in years.
Sonny Fisher (Hart) is married to a successful architect, Maya (Regina Hall), and is a stay-at-home dad to Dashiell (Che Tafari) and Ava (Amentii Sled). Sonny does everything from preparing dinners and breakfast to planning school talent shows. Meanwhile, his old friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg) enjoys a carefree life. As life often goes, Sonny has outgrown Huck's antics, so they haven't hung out in years.
When Maya decides to take the kids for spring break to reconnect with them, this gives Sonny a chance to enjoy his first me-time in years. The truth is that Sonny claims that he does not need it, but everyone around him sees it differently than he does. As a result of a successful conversation with his family, Sonny agrees to a storm-free week, but he wants to take it gently at first.
However, a barbecue binge and some time spent on the golf course don't do much to change this situation. It's Huck's birthday weekend, so Sonny goes along with the crazy festivities. Reconnecting with his old friend Huck, Sonny soon learns he's in for a wild weekend that may upend his life.
So one of the first things I want to point out about Me Time is that the film isn't a laugh riot. As someone who has rocked with Kevin Hart since the late nineties, I realize at this point in his career, Hart's comedy is evolving. For the most part, Hart spends the film subdued and tones down his manic energy. Thus most of the jokes in the movie involve Hart engaging in physical comedy. While Wahlberg brings the same persona, we've come to know him in for comedies.
Primarily the film belongs to Hart and Wahlberg, and the two have solid chemistry, so it's regretful that they have a by-the-numbers script for their first film. Even my fourteen-year-old son knew precisely where the film would ultimately go. I will admit there is one moment where the film shows promise. The scene involves the two of them attempting to get revenge on Maya's boss Armando (Luis Gerardo Méndez).
With the encouragement of Huck, Sonny feels compelled to destroy Armando's house - however, since he has a good-natured, uptight personality, he is only content to do things like throw out spices. I feel like if Me Time took this route for the film's duration, we would have a more cohesive result.
Regarding the R rating, it seems like the film was meant to be PG-13, but they added more inappropriate content during the shooting. Outside Regina Hall, the supporting cast is just there as background and serves no meaningful purpose.
Comedy is and will always have a subjective aspect. As a one-time watch, I found Me Time harmless.
Final Grade: C
Me Time is streaming on Netflix now