The slim story concerns the disappearance--courtesy of Play (Christopher Martin)--of $10,000 raised by Kid's (Christopher Reid) church congregation to put him through school. Though largely non-musical, HOUSE PARTY 2 busts loose in a climactic outlaw pajama party to replace the missing funds. Apart from some clever editing and sound effects--doors slamming THUD! on Kid's scholastic hopes, records scratching to underline coitus interruptus, and the like--the film looks rather tackily pieced together, with its grainy photography and indifferent lighting. Storywise, however, it's the stronger of the two films, as the college background lends itself to a wealth of engaging characters and entertaining references to black culture and history. Surprisingly devoid of athletic pursuits, there's an emphasis on book-cracking and a freshness of observation that reaches far beyond the rah-rah college musicals of the 40s, Spike Lee's agenda-filled SCHOOL DAZE, or television's designer-dressed "A Different World."
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