'Next Day Air' review

Another comedy written by the StereotypeGenerator 5000

By Matt Pais

Posted May 7, 2009

Metromix

Idiotic thieves/drug hounds (Mike Epps, Wood Harris) are pretty psyched when a deliveryman (Donald Faison) accidentally delivers 10 kilos of coke to them, instead of the apartment across the hall. The mob boss who sent the package is considerably less excited. Cue violence and misogyny.

The buzz: Should all women be referred to as bitches? Are unlikable morons automatically funny? Are amoral gangsters automatically cool? If they're not, does that mean a movie about them makes any comment on that lifestyle? No, no, no and no.

The verdict: Nothing wrong with adult language, but the thing about a script comprising 60 percent words that rhyme with stitch, spit and mothertruckers is it doesn't allow for many jokes. (If there are any clever uses for profanity, "Next Day Air" seems to disagree.) The only charismatic actors (Mos Def, Lauren London) disappear from the movie as if onscreen presence has no business here, while the plot inches forward without even the slightest reason to care what happens next. There should be more movies driven by minority characters. Preferably not like "Next Day Air."

Did you know? Leo (Faison) learns that it's not, in fact, acceptable for a driver to smoke a joint while delivering a package. Employers really need to make that clear in the employee contract.