House Party (1990)

One of the more welcome discoveries of the 1990 Sundance Film Festival was this effortless hip-hop comedy helmed by siblings Reginald Hudlin and Warrington Hudlin. The independently produced comedy achieved the kind of crossover success that had been lacking in the "black film" renaissance of the late '80s/early '90s, introducing mainstream teen audiences to a language and style that were fast being absorbed into everyday culture. Hot-button race issues like police harassment are played for sardonic laughs instead of weighty social commentary; the Hudlins' view of middle-class African-American life is warm and bittersweet without diminishing the conflicts still inherent in urban America. House Party would boost the careers of actress Tisha Campbell and then little-known comic Martin Lawrence, although leads Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin would find little work on the big screen for the remainder of the decade. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide