Class Act (1992) User Reviews

A vastly underrated movie

[Brad_Will · 7/10 · 11 February 2005]

I've never understood why this film is regarded so poorly, even to the point of being dissed on "Martin." While it doesn't measure up to the first two "House Party" films, it's certainly better than most people give it credit for.

Both Reid and Martin deliver excellent performances, but Martin really shines as Blade Brown, the hood with a well-hidden heart of gold. Lamont Johnson, Thomas Mikal Ford, Karyn Parsons, and Alysia Rogers provide solid supporting roles.

What impressed me most about this film was the obvious chemistry between the cast members. While I expected it between Reid and Martin, I was pleasantly surprised to see it between Johnson and Ford, Reid and Rogers, and Martin and Parsons.

I'd say that this is a must-see for Kid 'N' Play fans. For non Kid 'N' Play fans, it can be a fun diversion with some wonderfully funny scenes.

Still a hip teen comedy after 15 years

[JonTMarin816 · 7/10 · 28 January 2007]

1992's Class Act was hip hop duo Kid N' Play's first and only movie together that wasn't part of the House Party series. Duncan Pinderhughes (Kid) is a straight cut bookworm and Blade Brown (Play) is a troubled teen fresh out of jail. The two start high school under weird circumstances when they're school records are switched. Pinderhughes ended up being placed in a class of roughnecks while Brown went to the more established honor roll classes. When they learn of the mistake and confront each other, they try to use the mishap to their advantage to straighten out their problems. For example, Pinderhughes, because he was nonathletic, needed to pass gym and Brown just needed grades in general. From there on the film is one big laugh riot. The culture clash between the two plays off great on screen. Pinderhughes is used to finer things in life (classical music being one), he has great manners and is usually around kids of his own intellect. Meanwhile, Brown grew up in a rough environment and the streets definitely gave him the tough and mean persona we see. Usually films like this don't really do well with age and they're seen as "90s comedy". But 15 years later, scenes from Class Act are still being talked about and laughed at. It also helps that it is shown on HBO and BET a lot these days. Class Act is a refreshing comedy and has definitely stood the test of time.

Class Act - *** out of ****

Underrated cult flick from pop rap duo

[Groverdox · 7/10 · 29 March 2019]

"Class Act" is, as far as I can tell, the only movie pop-rap duo Kid 'n Play made that wasn't related to the House Party series. It's not quite as good as the classic first movie in that series, but it's still well worth watching.

In "Class Act", Kid is a nerdy student and Play is a thug. A mix up causes Kid to be placed in the remedial class with bullies and criminals, and Play gets put in the gifted class.

It's pretty funny at times, and entertaining, though I found my attention waned toward the end, which never really happened with "House Party".

Funny comedy

[DunnDeeDaGreat · 24 October 2002]

Class Act was a funny comedy when released in 1992. Kid & Play conuntied to make good comedy and are good comedic team. Doug E. Doug in an early sidekick role was alos very funny. My favorite scene in the movie is where Duncan is confused about slang and Blade has to explain it to him. I personally feel the filmmakers should have maybe gave Kid the Blade role and Play the Duncan but all in all still a funny movie.

Another fun Kid 'n Play movie that's an absolute must see for fans of the House Party pictures

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 6 August 2023]

Class Act (1992) is a movie that I recently watched for the first time in a long time on Tubi. The storyline follows two very different young men transferring to a new school and completely oblivious to each other...until their names are switched and they are mistaken for each other by the teachers and students. One is a child protege who is a genius and on his way to a fine college, the other is from the wrong side of the tracks and constantly in trouble. They decide to keep acting like their reputation instead of informing the school they got them mixed up. A series of hijinks ensue.

This movie is directed by Randall Miller (House Guest) and stars Christopher Reid (House Party), Christopher Martin (House Party), Loretta Devine (Crash), Rhea Perlman (Cheers) and Rick Ducommun (Spaceballs).

The storyline for this is classic 80s/90s with fun characters, cheesy circumstances and hilarious comedy mixed in. I enjoyed the twists and turns all the way until the final conclusion. The characters are entertaining and worth following and Reid and Martin deliver solid performances. The comedy is hit or miss but makes you consistently smile. The soundtrack is outstanding as you'd expect.

Overall, this is an another fun Kid 'n Play movie that's an absolute must see for fans of the House Party pictures. I would score this a 6.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

Kid n Play's Second Worst Movie

[nafps · 2/10 · 17 February 2022]

After House Party III. And just like HP3 it's a huge let down for their fans.

HP is one of the funniest comedies, and HP2 is pretty good also. But both this and HP3 are obvious cash grabs, by the numbers, completely predictable and unfunny.

No laughs, none. Painful to watch.

Excellent!!

[Ghostface26 · 10/10 · 10 June 2007]

A Very Funny Movie!..with an excellent soundtrack, and remind me the good times with Kid N Play!...

This Movie should have better rank, i recommended this movie to see with all the family and have about 1 hour and a half of fun...

If you want a trip down memory lane to the flamboyant culture of the early 90's, and a reminder of how it was at school during those terrible teens, then this comedy with Kid n Play and a few other familiar faces ('Doug. E Doug' who went on to do Cool Runnings) ('Karyn Parsons' - Hilary in Fresh Prince Of Bell Air) (Pauly Shore who plays the unforgettable role of the hippy) this film is a good watch.

Excellent Movie!...

weak

[SnoopyStyle · 3/10 · 18 January 2017]

Duncan Pinderhughes (Kid) is explaining to the guard how he ended up in jail. He was an A student ready to go to college. Before graduating, Duncan is forced to take a final PE course. Blade Brown (Play) has always been a delinquent. He was let out of jail on the condition that he completes school with honors. Their records are accidentally switched and it goes downhill from there for Duncan.

The comedy is extremely broad and generally bad. There is barely a laugh in this cheese. Kid'n Play don't come off well. Kid is a clownish nerd and Play is a thug. Neither gets any laughs unless you get to smoke something. They do get to rap at the end which is fine. There is also an early Pauly Shore in his bbbudddy getup.

Underestimated Great Film

[nirecsic · 8/10 · 8 December 2015]

This film incorporates so many brilliant aspects of film-making. From graphic matches (telescope-peephole)to breaking the 4th wall at the end of the film (kid n play talking to the camera), its awesome! Since its a 1990's comedy it has sound effects through out the film which is NOT over-done like a previous House Party movie I won't mention but when you watch it you'll hear it, like the sound man was on meth.

The plot is simple, two students get taken for mistaken identity. One is a nerd and one is a gangsta. As we follow their "Freaky Friday," escapades we get a sense of what high school use to be like and learn how to accept people for who they are.

The acting in the movie is good, there's a couple of slow parts but the pacing is great. I love the skillful camera movements and angles, also the writing is funny! There is a handful of quotes from this movie that I remember saying growing up as I re-watched as an adult. Also, the little things in the dialogue, like how his dad thinks hes gay and all the homosexual innuendos, Blade not pronouncing Duncan's name wrong and other amusing script-writing antics. It's a coming of age comedy, not as raunchy as comedies now-a-days but has more laughs than your regular 90's movies.

I would def recommend this movie, especially if you like silly comedies, I saw people saying that "Popsicle" was annoying but he was honestly my favorite character in the film. I even went out with my friend to a see Bill Burr live a month ago, then we met up with his friend who he works with (she was hot). But anyways we had about a 30 minute conversation about "Class Act." She knew lines from the movies and everything, it was hot!

Let the silliness commence

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 24 August 2018]

Kid n' Play's third movie together and their first break from the House Partys was a silly movie. Through some incredibly ridiculous mix up Duncan Pinderhughes (Play) was confused for Blade (Kid) and vice versa. The two couldn't have been more different. Duncan was an upstanding, genius kid on his way to the college of his choice whereas Blade was a tough guy repeat felon just trying to avoid a permanent stay in prison. Their mix-up in high school was mutually beneficial though it came with a lot of problems.

One good thing is that the movie didn't take itself too seriously. In Three Stooges type fashion they fell into one mishap after another. It was slapstick and physical comedy abound mostly by the nerdy and uncoordinated Duncan. Of course they were able to work a musical performance into the movie which didn't fit whatsoever. There wasn't much good or memorable about this movie except that a rap duo was in it.

Why isn't this movie on DVD yet?

[Newsense · 10/10 · 28 April 2009]

I'll never understand why this movie never got a DVD release while terrible comedies(like anything produced by Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg) get released and the Blu-ray treatment. Life can be harsh sometimes. Class Act is one of the fond memories I have of the 90s.

If you don't already know this movie details The misadventures of Duncan(Kid of Kid N Play) and Blade(Play of Kid N Play). These two get mistaken for each other after in accident in the office and crazy hijinks ensue.

The funniest scenes would have to be when Blade is teaching Duncan how to be hip. Meshach Taylor is pretty funny as Duncan's father who thinks that Duncan might be a little sweet. Every time Wedge gets beaten up I laugh and when Rhea Pearlman(who plays Blade's teacher) was hitting on Blade I almost lost my breath laughing so hard. Yeah, its easy to think about what would happen if the mistake had never been made but that would have made for a boring movie.

Class Act is one of the funniest movies of 1992 and the fact that it isn't released on DVD while movies that everybody knows are horrible are released on Blu-ray is a crime. I recommend this movie to anybody that's a fan of 90s comedy. 100% funnier than the garbage that passes for humor these days.

My all time favourite.

[Dennean2006 · 10/10 · 2 January 2007]

This is my all time favourite film, so I am slightly biased! The reason I love this film is the moment in time it encapsulates & the comedy throughout is very funny. For me early 90's culture was an intriguing time. From the brightly coloured attire to the strong soundtrack. From Plays car 'Lucille' :)to the rib tickling examples of high school life which everyone can relate to in some form or other. The plot is easy watching, it just rolls along nicely.

There is an error in the car chase scene which I spotted. Play drives the car into the back of Minks Jaguar & crumples the front of 'Lucille' however in the next scene the front of the car is restored to its former glory :)

If you want a trip down memory lane to the flamboyant culture of the early 90's, and a reminder of how it was at school during those terrible teens, then this comedy with Kid n Play and a few other familiar faces ('Doug. E Doug' who went on to do Cool Runnings) ('Karyn Parsons' - Hilary in Fresh Prince Of Bell Air) (Pauly Shore who plays the unforgettable role of the hippy) this film is a good watch.

Classic hip hop flava comedy thats totally original and full of laughs

[dann-b-e · 10/10 · 1 November 2014]

This gets 10 for its original comedy & hip hop influenced style which makes the genre much more fun and appealing to all without the Gangster SH@T you find in so many other hip hop related movies. Full of classic tunes and one liners this is a hidden gem amongst 90s movies. Boys n the hood was my other best hip hop style movie from the 90s but this is much less serious. Gotta love kid n play & the work thats gone into this whole movie its a must see. As i have to write 10 lines im going to add that Kid n play also made a few albums & made a few great records too like Getting funky & My way. If you like kid n play also consider movies like keenan and kels & the show fresh prince of bel air. thanks for reading and enjoy the movie!

Very fun movie!!!

[superadde69 · 10/10 · 7 December 2002]

I love these kind of movies when there's a mix with awesome music and funny scenes at the same time. Sometimes you almost cry for yourself. I think, the director has put a lot of effort in this movie by combine different things with each-other. And that's what makes movies so funny. The movie is great and cool though it could have been better if it hadn't so short scenes all the time. I mean when they had the competition of witch school who was the smartest. If it was longer it could have been funnier. It's like something happens all the time at many places.

If you see the movie sometime, just don't miss the great thing about it. Give it a try at least. I know you will be satisfied enough.

This underrated movie brings back so many memories!

[johnsonbe3 · 10/10 · 7 October 2020]

Class Act is a underrated gem with Kid n Play in it. This movie from start to finish always make me laugh so hard. I really love the slapstick humor in this movie, especially each of the characters always slapping similar from Moe of the Three Stooges. The soundtrack for this movie is dope and I'll admit I miss these kind of comedies and 80-90's rap music!! One of my favorite movies of the 1990's!!!

Brings back memories

[Unbreakable27 · 8/10 · 10 March 2005]

When this movie came out I was just seventh or either grade.

I can say with all honesty I was probably a mix of Duncan Pinderhughes and Blade Brown.

Academic, but didn't take no crap off anyone either.

My wife and I sat down and watched this one when it came on cable a few nights ago.

It's extremely funny and original in plot.

I don't know why this movie was met with such poor regards.

So much so that Kid N Play have been banished from public eye pretty much. Some people view these guys as fads, their time came and went, but I think they just didn't get the credit they deserved. Plus they rapped about things on a positive note, when rap was taking it's harder, more thug based turn. The last acting appearance of Kid was the extremely small part he had in the Temptation's biopic in 1998. Play has left show business and is a born again Christian so I hear.

The entire chase scene in the wax museum is hilarious.

The thing I thought was funny was the every major character seemed to have their own "entrance" song.

Wedge, Damita, Blade...everyone had their own tune whenever they came on screen.

Something "Friday" would later borrow from.

Extremely funny and worth a view if you want to travel back to a time when rap was about a little more than killing, smoking and getting "crunk".

One of my personal favorite movies of all time.

[HOPSQUIAT · 10/10 · 7 September 2020]

The movie is full of energy from the opening credits to the end. It never lags. It is just pure fun. Kid N Play have great chemistry. It is a feel good movie. Its not too deep. Its not as good as House Party, but I think its the second best movie they ever made together. Its a fun movie. I watch it very often. The soundtrack is great as well.

Classic Kid'N'Play

[beneku · 8/10 · 3 September 2019]

Great movie with a fun, easy feeling plot. After hearing interviews of both of these guys in real life, the film is a true reflection of their teenage lives when they were both young. Also to note, an excellent soundtrack. Only regrets about the film are that Pauly Shore didn't have a larger role. I was hoping he could've been the third wheel, much like Martin Lawrence (Bilal) was in the first two House Party movies. Also, the ending with the wax museum is just a bit too silly for me- usually by the time the film reaches this point I fast forward through it.

Dope movie

[misscinny_6 · 10/10 · 25 July 2011]

This movie is dope!! I love love love this movie!! this movie gives me flashbacks:) In the past there where a lot op this movies. And I really miss this so very much.... This movie is dope!! I love love love this movie!! this movie gives me flashbacks:) In the past there where a lot op this movies. And I really miss this so very much.... This movie is dope!! I love love love this movie!! this movie gives me flashbacks:) In the past there where a lot op this movies. And I really miss this so very much.... This movie is dope!! I love love love this movie!! this movie gives me flashbacks:) In the past there where a lot op this movies. And I really miss this so very much....

GREAT !!

[DIE HARD-4 · 4 June 1999]

I loved this movie !! It's funny and heartwarming, and the soundtrack is great, just like the entire movie.