On H List of Movie Reviews

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Harlem Nights (1989)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 9/14

Har
9/14: I expected Harlem Nights to be a stinker before I began watching it, but the movie wasn't bad.

There are some problems: slow pace, some dragged-out or useless scenes, high amount of profanity, and Arsenio Hall. The first twenty-five minutes should've been condensed by 80% for failing to add much to the story.

Also, certain scenes must move faster in cadence but, for some reason, are longer than needed to get the desired effect. The script was written by Eddie Murphy, but he could've found more appropriate word substitutes because it seemed he was attempting to set a world record for the most profane words in a movie. Nevertheless, I like how Harlem Nights is a period piece with in/exterior sets that are wonderfully set up along with the costumes, and the cinematography is terrific. Additionally, the story is well-thought-out; however, the part about heroin is factually untrue.

Richard Pryor gives a special performance, and he's superb in the role of an intelligent father figure. Oddly, there's a feeling that he never connected with Eddie Murphy. The latter tries to be funny, but it keeps backfiring on him. Anyway, whatever happened to Jasmine Guy? She was in a popular television show called A Different World and then fell off the map. At least, she is good-looking in the film.

All in all, Harlem Nights, if it can be cleaned up more, will come closer to getting an '8' from me instead of '6'.