Things just ain't funny when the Prince needs his money.
No doubt simultaneously regretting the decision whilst still in the process of carrying it out, Will Smith must have walked off that Oscars stage with only one thing in mind - damage limitation. Notorious for his absence on the big screen of late, it should have really come as no surprise to Martin Lawrence that his partner came-a-calling once more. And bless the unfit chubby little fucker, he actually agreed to be seen dead with him, when many would have politely refused, from a safe distance of course.
Well, aside from all of that awards nonsense, if Eddie Murphy can play Axel F again, there isn't any real artistic reason why these two can't ride again aswell. Lawrence may have admittedly lost some of his charm that got him through his previous scrapes with Hollywood's biggest pariah (I mean even Mel Gibson gets regular work these days) but that isn't enough reason, even if you include Smiths' baggage, to point and laugh at people who should know better than to throw their money at this.
I don't refer to the audience - you pays your money etc - but I was thinking more of those that stumped up the cash in the first place. I imagine the fee for Smith dropped by a zero or two, but needs must when the devil drives. For fans, this is a nice, albeit unexpected, surprise that probably would never been made had it not been for the very real reason of Smith ingratiating himself to his audience, so perhaps they should be thankful.
Personally, I wouldn't notice if he never showed his face again on screen, summed up by how much I haven't missed him since that unfortunate evening in Hollywood.
At least the Academy will have no issues when it comes to giving out prizes at the start of next year, because this isn't going to get any. This is little more than a highly diluted nostalgia trip without the teeth. The whole thing is highly clinical, as if every scene had been checked by health and safety to ensure it offended as few people as possible, which inevitably put some stress on the project and the ability to really do what they used to do so well and exactly what this franchise needs - an element of surprise with one tongue in cheek, delivered devil may care. Seems the devil definitely does care, after all. Who knew?
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