User reviews

Kevin Hart's Let Me Explain is an interesting conundrum.

On one hand you have another great hour of comedy from one of the better stand-up comics in the business today.

But on the other hand we have a muddled production with choppy editing, sloppy directing, and poor sound mixing that prevents this comedic movie from aging with the greats like Raw, Live on the Sunset Strip, and Himself.

What also hurts Let Me Explain is the short running time, the extremely egotistical preshow, and the failed skit in the beginning of the entire thing. If Hart can simply manage to stretch his material a little longer and delete all the extra fluff then he would be a little closer of reaching the comedic Rushmore of Pryor, 80s Murphy, Rock, and my main man George Carlin. He still has a ways to go though.

If you are a Kevin Hart fan, then you will not be disappointed. He once again spits out quick funny anecdotes, throws in a couple great catchphrases, and is never afraid of making fun of himself. He once again dedicates plenty of time to talking about women and relationship clichés; and these moments provide the biggest laughs because he takes the moments we can all relate to and stretch them into exaggeratory measures to successful jokes. He also has this likability factor that allows for him to control the crowd and never lose them, not for a single second.

And then we have all the technical issues. First off for a Madison Square Garden the audience was quite quiet. Was it the jokes not hitting? No, it's that the sound editing focused pretty much 95% on Hart, leaving the movie sounding quieter than it should. Part of a good comedic concert is listening to the audience react to the stories and collectively understand the verbal motions of one individual. Remember the epic battles Richard Pryor had against his audience on Sunset Strip? With this production staff we never would have truly enjoyed it.

As a matter of fact, it was tough to enjoy anything in the first fifteen minutes. The opening skit was uneven, just like the last one in Laugh at my Pain. And then it was followed by a sequence that should have been kept for the closing credits. The movie needed 20 minutes to truly get going. Jerry Seinfeld once said that usually comedians have only one minute to catch the audience otherwise he/she fails. The only reason why Kevin Hart was allowed 20 is because his material over the years has been consistently funny, and we all secretly knew that no matter how lame the material with his buddies are, it would all be forgiven once he steps up on the mic...even if the first act drags miserably.

But Kevin seriously, drop your friends. They may have supported you, but that doesn't mean squat if it hinders your movies.

8/10

Unlike my other favorite comedian, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart is somewhat of a formulaic comedian. While that is absolutely not a bad thing at all, it is to be noted that a bulk of his material comes from 3 main topics, all of which he expands on so amazingly well:

1. He will dissect common relationship problems that most everyone can relate to

2. He will state a certain trait of his character and tell a story as to why he became that way

3. He will state a somewhat uncommon fear of his and tell a story about the origin of that fear

After watching all of his previous stand ups, it did begin to get somewhat predictable because of it's overly unbelievable nature. This is not to say that I wasn't laughing like crazy throughout all of them.

When I heard about this special being theatrically released I knew I was going to see on opening night. Not much is to be said about anything other than the fact that the whole theater was roaring with laughter for 90% of the time.

Now back to the formula; Kevin did adhere to it here and there, but I think the reason everyone enjoyed this so much was because he threw in a mix of tiny little 2-3 minute segments that had really nothing to do with anything and it just worked. He veered off a bit from talking about himself or about relationships and he just started talking about people in general and the way we are with one another.

In general, I think this was his best one yet. I think his formula is one of the more advanced and genuinely true ways to intrigue people. Even though it is a comedy special, and you don't quite know exactly how much of it is true or false, Kevin Hart has a great way of connecting through to the audience on a more personal level through the way he talks about himself and his relationships.

He is comedic genius and will one day be legendary.

8/10

Review: I didn't realise that Kevin Hart was so funny. I usually find him annoying in films, but he does do a good stand-up. He isn't as funny as early Eddie Murphy, but I don't that we will ever get someone in his calibre again. I never realised that his tour went to so many countries and that they all done so well. Anyway, if you want a good laugh then you will find plenty of great jokes on this DVD. Enjoyable!

Round-Up: I know Kevin Hart isn't a household name, but everyone has seen him in various movies, like Soul Plane etc. The bonus features on the DVD are worth a watch and It's definitely one for the collection.

Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $32million

I recommend this movie to people who are into there stand-up comedies. 6/10

If you can skip past the first 16 minutes of His Narcissistic Introduction, You will find a stand-up routine that is Fresh and comparable to an early Eddy Murphy without all the Raunch. Kevin manages to explain his bad boy image in a way that has you rolling in laughter and agreeing with his views, all the while endearing himself to his audience. His complete Honesty about Lying is so over the top, you start to believe Telling a Lie is an Art Form and you have been doing it wrong all along. Because of his humor, You just can't help but love him for all of his faults, even if he's a Pathological Comedy Genius!

First let me correct one reviewer here that said half of the movie was spent showing clips of his shows around the world. Not True. I intentionally timed it because I read his review before I saw the movie. It was 7 minutes of a skit that made me laugh. Then it was approximately 6 minutes of showing clips of Kevin's shows from around the world. The rest of the movie was stand up comedy. Although I laughed really hard only on certain parts, the whole movie was entertaining to me and that was my goal: to be entertained. Kevin's brand of comedy can be silly at times, and there is nothing wrong with that, if it makes you laugh, and it did. I can't understand why half the viewers here (Since July 6, 2013) had unfavorable things to say about the movie. As I observed, the audience and the fans around the world are happy with what Mr. Hart does in his act.

One of Kevin Hart's older stand up comedy special. In comparison to his other special released earlier this year- Irresponsible, Let Me Explain is quite entertaining and far better.

This special starts off rather slow with about the first 20 minutes or so of a skit than a documentary type feature showing Kevin at his tours. But then the actual stand up routine begins. It gets off slow but eventually gets funnier. He had a good act at creating or reciting stories in his stand up than turning them into jokes. This stand up is funny at parts, somewhat repetitive but overall decent if you are a fan of Kevin Hart.

This performance was so bad that I felt the need to create an IMDb account just so I can warn anyone who is thinking of buying this. I really do not understand what all the hype is with Kevin Hart. All he does is ramble and scream about nonsense. His delivery is wildly erratic and his material is just not good. Not to mention his ego is the size of Madison square garden and that is evident through the entire performance. I might have cracked a few smiles but that is it, not one laugh throughout the entire performance. If there was a option to give a star lower then a 1 I'd do it, seriously. Where in the hell is Dave Chapelle at when we need him?? Now that's a true comedic genius.

Kevin Hart has taken his comedy to a new level with Let Me Explain. He doesn't just open with the back stage preparation (and customary prayer) prior to performing his newest stand-up routine, he gives the audience a mini feature film complete with the set up for all the issues currently plaguing him in the media, and the backlash that he gets from the public and the people around him. Mr. Hart's star is definitely on the rise, with a hit television show and a number of feature films forth-coming, he said it best on the BET Awards 'turnt up'! He showcases his success in the film by cleverly taking the audience on a ride along with him and his entourage as he tours Canada and the United Kingdom to sold out venues providing some insight into his popularity outside the US. It seems that he is a global hit not simply a well-known comedic powerhouse to just Black America. The jokes were smart and funny and were delivered in such a manner that I was rocking forward with laughter. The profanity was excessive and in some cases unnecessary for the stories being told to be humorous, but Kevin Hart's approach to comedy is much like many of his predecessors Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock who have grown out of an environment in which the language was a part of the norm of everyday life, so it's only fitting that the profanity is infused throughout the routine. I get it, but more prudish ears may find it somewhat offensive, especially the use of the N-word, which punctuated every narrative. The fare in this film is definitely not for consumption by small children. After hearing the jokes about so many aspects of his personal life, his divorce and his children I left the theater feeling as if I knew Kevin Hart just a little bit better. His tale of the possibility of being touched by the homeless gave me a whole new perspective of how important the boundaries of personal space are. Having a significant enough following to be able to fill seats in a theater is an impressive feat for any entertainer especially a stand-up comedian. This was an entertaining film, it was funny and engaging. The running time was 75 minutes which seemed to fly as in 'time flies when you're having fun. I give it a green light.

Kevin Hart is poised to become the next big comedy star walking the trail once blazed by Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock. He first made noticeable appearances on TV series, many of the spoof movies like Scary Movie 3 & 4, Epic Movie, Extreme Movie and other small movie roles, especially his most famous in a small hilarious piece in The 40 year Old Virgin where he plays a dissatisfied customer. He starred in his first movie as a lead, Soul Plane in (2004). Most recently he had a small cameo in Seth Rogen's This is the End. The fact that he was included in that movie which also featured other small uncredited cameos by a host of A-list actors, shows Hart is considered among the elite comic actors in Hollywood.

Unlike a lot of other comedians, Hart's style uses more imagination than observation. He sees things differently than other comedians and employs a very self-deprecating humor that other urban comedians would be too self-conscious to use. Especially other black comedians. He doesn't have to spend five minutes on race or excessive sex jokes to make his point. Though he does sometimes use the N-word, he doesn't use it as a crutch. One of his usual devices is his size. Hart is reportedly only 5'2". He also derives a lot of his humor from his experiences as a father with two young kids. All of these things makes him a comedian with broader appeal than the rest of his peers.

"Let Me Explain" is his fourth stand-up movie and fifth solo stand-up appearance if you include his "Comedy Central Presents" (2004) stand-up routine. After a filmed opening routine, Hart comes to the stage in Madison Square Garden for his first time. This shows he really has made a large impact in his field as the packed-house audience is filled with a large cross-section of people including celebrities in the front rows. Here he proceeds to talk about everything from his kids, bodyguards, homeless people, divorce, horse rides, etc.

Though not as funny as some of his earlier stand-ups, I still found it hilarious. Hart has the ability to bring you into his world, where other comedians simply make observations on everyday things. The prologue and epilogue bits also show Hart's ability as a comic actor and the love he gets from people in other cities and countries.

I felt ripped off when comedian Kevin Hart said "thank you and good night" and abruptly ended his routine. I should have waited for this to show up on cable or the bootleg (just kidding about the bootleg). I paid money for a 75-minute stand-up comedy movie whose first 25 minutes feature no stand-up comedy whatsoever. Minus credits, that's ~45 minutes of jokes, several of which are only mildly funny, not his normally funny. The film opens with an unfunny party scene Hart shows clip after clip of his tours from around the world. Not ONE of these clips features Hart telling a single joke. Instead, it's him saying "thank you (fill in the location)" and just more clips of fans and Hart's entourage sleeping on a bus. It goes on so long that I almost walked out. I didn't need a Kevin Hart commercial to prove he was a big funny star. I knew this that's why I bought tickets to see his stand-up. I think Kevin Hart is hilarious; this just wasn't his best material. Hart used the N-word way too much for my taste, but that's the price you pay for a lot of black comedy. I guess they feel that appeals to their mostly urban crowd / audience.

Bad language, disrespectful use of tasteless descriptive words is what this mans entire act is based upon...but not a single funny joke or funny story/tale etc!

Kevin Hart to me, when I first saw him, had what I think is a comedians face and it made me laugh. After I saw him in his films I realized the full truth in the term, "Looks can be deceiving", as I learnt that he is not at all what I would class as a comedian. I later watched all his stand up comic releases to make sure if I had gotten it right...I had. He was still terrible!

He is in the same foul mouthed, disrespectful and offensive category as the disgusting Eddie Murphy; IMHO. Using the 'F' word continuously and spouting the words bitches and ni**er constantly is just not tasteful or adding anything to humour or comedy! His looking at life style of delivery is dull and dreary content and, he is obviously not seeing life as the rest of us. I have found Americans to have no real sense of what comedy is and they just laugh at anything; especially foul mouthed comedy acts who never actually tell a joke or a funny story.

The only American comedian I find to be hilarious - without any foul language or descriptive names rudeness - is Gabriel Iglesias. He is one of the worlds best, IMHO!

Kevin Hart claims that his success has engendered false perceptions about his life. He wants to set the record straight by putting out a performance at Madison Square Garden. He starts by traveling the world with his "Let Me Explain" comedic tour.

That's the setup. It has the effect of play acting. It's an excuse to make a bunch of observational jokes mostly about his various women. The audience is mostly black and they are exuberant in their laughing. One thing Kevin Hart does is that he makes the effort. He is all energy and sweat. He puts his everything into his performance. There are some laughs but I find the reaction shots overwhelm the jokes. I'm not saying the jokes are bad. They are functional but not outrageously funny. One should avoid the cleaned up version since Kevin is swearing up a storm. Part of the fun is the swearing.

I was very disappointed in Kevin Hart's most recent stand-up special. The first 20 minutes were not even comedy, they were just a poorly written parody of him at a party trying to "explain" himself to his friends. Then the next 30 minutes were just boring, especially for Kevin Hart's standards. By that time, you're checking the clock every five minutes anxious for the special to end. Finally, after that snooze fest, some great, classic Hart-humor kicks in. I'd say the last 30 minutes of the special were outstanding and make the special worth watching. That being said, the first 50 minutes hurt the experience and dragged down the rating. The laugh-to-bore ratio should be better than 3-to-5.

Kevin Hart is one comedian many people can say they watched rise to stardom. I caught the train midway when I saw him do his thing on Comedy Central Presents a several years ago and have been following him ever since. For a man so new to the game, at the time, he had a great sense of going off the audience's vibe, and even to this day does he remain at self-aware of the public, not letting the fame go to his head in an identifiable way.

His first theatrical comedian special titled Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain, which was released in 2011, was a passable film that would serve introductory purposes quite well, but seemed to be missing the genuine spark that his specials I'm a Grown Little Man and Seriously Funny possessed. Not to mention, the skits the film featured bordered on mildly amusing to downright tedious and unfunny. It was approximately fifty-minutes of stand-up comedy and thirty of redundant skits.

Needless to say, there was notable hesitation between me and Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, which arrives in theaters with a seemingly bigger, brasher marketing scheme than the one that Laugh at My Pain had. Especially seeing as the film opens with a setup, directed by Tim Story, similar to the one in the previous films that was downright cliché and easily-dismissible. It features Hart at a large party he is hosting, stating he'll pay for all the alcohol and he'll show all his guests a good time. Just when all is going good, people come up and say that he has said things he hasn't said, done things without clear justification, and, according to a fan, is a "LAB" ("local-ass bitch" in terms of where he performs). While Hart tries to get a word in and explain his side of the story, no one lets him. He eventually demands his agent to book him a last-minute performance at Madison Square Garden in New York so he can explain his story.

What follows is Hart shedding light and revealing some scandalous things about him that made headlines recently and shows that he is definitely not a "LAB," seeing as he has performed abroad in places like Denmark, Oslo, and Copenhagen. Then, finally, we get the concert, which is often very funny and very down-to-earth. Hart, first, introduces what he calls "pointless fire," which is random, ten foot tall lines of fire that shoot up on Hart's cue to add some flavor and spice to his show (he says he got the idea from a Jay-Z concert).

Hart's topics involve being so happy you feed the pigeons in the park (which features Hart doing one of the most hilarious women-impressions I've heard in a while), women and their love of proving men wrong, except for one percent of the time, publicity issues he takes care of early on, and more. Let Me Explain isn't deep by any means; it sort of treads water on being a vanity project for Hart himself seeing as he almost never directs the content and humor away from himself. However, he isn't totally narcissistic and bravely admits and shows that he is still in touch with his roots despite his near-"global brand" name, he explains in the film.

Not to mention, much of Hart's humor derives from his quick-witted wordplay, his hilarious, conservative use of catchphrases (first it was "Alright, alright, alright!" now it's "No! No! No! No! No!" accompanied by a high, squeaky voice and an explanation), and his jivey-presence on a big stage. Even with a place as large and as massive as the Garden, Hart's small-self doesn't have much trouble catering to its enormous status.

On a concluding note, it's also surprising to note how emotional and strong the finale was in terms of personal-resonance. Hart tells us it's rare for comedians to perform at the Garden and the fact that he has had this opportunity almost makes him go into a tear-session. It's a strong, beautiful little scene that concludes the film on a remarkably close to home note that indicates what can happen if dreams succeed, as cliché as that sounds. The best thing is he doesn't go into a "rags to riches" like memoir and keeps it simple. No need to explain on that.

NOTE: My video review of Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWGBs1Z42pQ

Starring: Kevin Hart. Directed by: Leslie Small and Tim Story.

Just because it didn't live up to your expectations does NOT mean it was a bad movie/show. Honestly, I was expecting funnier but that didn't stop me from laughing at most of the jokes. It was so entertaining and i was smiling throughout the whole movie , it was mostly funny. Maybe to some people not "laughing till i'm out of breath funny" but it was in fact funny. Like how bitter can one be in order to dislike a movie like this or dislike Kevin Hart. i'm not being rude or anything i'm just stating what's already there. The whole movie was like 50 minutes maximum so if you watch it , even if you don't find it that funny you wouldn't be wasting 50 minutes of your precious time. I laughed out loud to some of the jokes but i didn't even smile to some others. You can't expect to like ALL of his jokes or to laugh 50 minutes non stop. I don't know what most of you were expecting but maybe next time you should keep your expectations a little lower or not have any at all to write a review because if you're going to write one based on your amazing "expectations" it's going to be complete bullshit. So, to whoever is bored and wants to watch something funny, maybe not hilarious, but overall funny, i recommend this 100%.

This dude was getting more downloads that most top movies. His sell out tour was a worldwide one. Packing houses everywhere. I'm a huge fan of stand up, so I couldn't wait to see what all the fuss was about.

I'm still not sure. Perhaps he had the right friends. Certainly, he has a dumb audience. They probably can tell you the winners of American Idol and love watching Snookie and Paris Hilton. During the act, I turned to my wife. She was sleeping. She didn't laugh once. I was hungry and as she was sleeping, I had to cook for myself. I can't cook to save my life so I went hungry.

After another hour of waiting to laugh..the show ended. Little Kev cried at how famous he was. It was a touching moment. So touching, that I took out a rusty nail and smashed it into my face. It was either that or a trip to the clock tower.

Do yourself a favour. If you want to laugh at a 'new' comic...watch some Louis CK.

However, if you're really stupid and love being 'cool'...Kev's your man.

Kevin is one of all times greatest comedians. He keeps it real in his shows. "Let Me Explain" kept me laughing. I hope he comes to Arkansas soon. Everyone sense of humor is different and his mixture of real life experiences and humor is very created. I support his efforts and bought each of his DVDs. Go Kev!!!! Sometimes people take life bad circumstances to seriously. Kevin shine laughter on the gray areas in life. I love comedy and support comedians especially to African American comedians. His detailed accounts death, divorce, and dating is most amusing in many areas especially dumb things we do at these events. I killed myself laughing when he said, "I took the backs too all her earrings when I left." Man, that kind of stuff make you laugh when u think if his ex looking for the back of her earrings when she start getting dress for a date or something. I can imagine her saying, "that lowdown Dog!!!'"

If you like stand up comedy, you will hate this. Otherwise, you probably will enjoy it.

I have seen many many stand up comedy specials, and this is the worst one I have ever seen. Kevin Hart has an ego that makes this performance unwatchable. He is definitely one who can deliver good comedy, but he has no material on this. I like Kevin Hart, but this is honestly the worst stand up special I have ever had to sit through.

The beginning will show you how egotistical Hart is, as he goes through his tour schedule. I hope you heed my warning and only watch this with low expectations. If you like Mitch Hedberg, do not go anywhere near this material.

I was entertained with every single second of this film. I especially loved the commentary from Kev's international fans. What I loved so much about Kevin's comedy is that he choose to openly discuss personal issues in a funny way. It was actually refresher to go to the movie and see a shorter film. The stage was magnificent and having the honor to preform at Madison Square Garden is befitting to Kevin Hart. I really needed a laugh I was doubled over with laughter the entire time. Kevin please keep them coming you are doing brilliant and I think the world of his comedy. He really is global. I don't want to give away any of the movie but he deals with some pretty heavy issues but hilariously.