MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (7/3/13): KEVIN HART: LET ME EXPLAIN

"All right, all right, all right – guess who's about to hit you with a new catch phrase?!" The eponymous star entertains the crowd at Madison Square Garden in a scene from his latest stand-up comedy concert film, KEVIN HART: LET ME EXPLAIN. Credit: Kevin Kwan © 2013 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Kevin Hart and his crew, the Plastic Cup Boyz (Nate Smith, Harry Ratchford, Na'im Lynn, Nate Smith, Dwayne Brown and Joey Wells) 

WRITER(S): Kevin Hart, Harry Ratchford and Joey Wells  

DIRECTOR: Leslie Small (concert), Tim Story (short film)

WEB SITE: http://www.kevinhartnation.com/let-me-explain/

60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS: Kevin Hart, all 5'4" of him, is a big star in the world of stand-up comedy having generated millions upon millions of dollars with his last tour (and subsequent film) Laugh at My Pain. Now, the stand-up comic/budding movie star is back to explain his latest (mis)adventures with his fans in concert at "the world's most famous arena," Madison Square Garden.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST: Kevin Hart fans 

WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM: People who don't like an excessive amount of profanity in their stand-up, people who didn't enjoy Laugh at My Pain and/or don't know who Kevin Hart is. 

BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Good – but short (no pun intended).

WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: Confession: If you don't know that the author/editor/proprietor/primary reader of this blog is also a stand-up comedian who will be releasing his debut album this winter via RooftopComedy.com, consider this your notice. In addition, said person is also a long-standing Kevin Hart fan who owns every CD/DVD the comic/actor has put out in his career, so it is a bit awkward/weird/biased/insert your word here for him to review this film.

That being said, what that author – who is talking in the second person like he doesn't know you know he knows that he is talking about himself – will say is this: If you are a fan of Hart's humor and enjoyed Laugh at My Pain, you'll really enjoy Let Me Explain which finds the comedian in his element doing what he does best.

Without ruining any of the jokes – Hart tackles his usual subjects (women, his kids, fears and misadventures in nature) – Let Me Explain, while not quite on the level of Eddie Murphy's Raw, Richard Pryor's Live on the Sunset Strip or Bill Cosby: Himself, is quite good. The language is quite explicit at times, but Hart pulses through each joke with a rapid-fire nature, energy and, at a times, vulnerability, that you don't get caught up in the number of curse words shooting from his mouth. His body movements, facial expressions and dedication to his jokes deliver a performance that delivers solid, laugh-till-you-cry moments even with a few jokes that aren't great in the mix.

Hart knows exactly who he is as a private person and public persona, both of which help create a solid performance that gives the people what they want. Unfortunately, given the film's short run time (which also includes an opening sketch that is far better than any of the underdeveloped ones that ran on too long in Laugh at My Pain), fans will likely walk away wishing there was more to enjoy. But given the ol' showbiz mantra of leave the people wanting more, Hart might just be as savvy with his business acumen as he is his razor sharp delivery. 

PARTING SHOT: A film that seeks to further establish its star as this generation's Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart doesn't have much to explain in terms of why his fans love his comedy, but it certainly does make the case.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):