The first time I saw this movie I cried like a baby for about 5 minutes. (Yes, I saw it twice, and yes, the New Potential took me to see it the 2nd time. :)) As you know I had extremely high hopes for this film and was super excited to see it.  Now, I gave you all an extra week to see it.  So if you haven’t seen it, you might want to skip this post, because there are going to be spoilers galore.  I’m just forewarning you, so don’t be mad at me!  Now, I will say I was much more engrossed in the film when I saw it the first time, maybe because I knew what was going to happen the second time around.  So I’ll give you my perspective from my fresh eyes on opening night.

I definitely saw the growth of each character and even in the storyteller.  Malcom D. Lee did an amazing job writing this sequel.  Harper means well, but you truly see him for what he is-sneaky.  And it’s not that he means to be.  But because he’s not forthright with his actions and his intent, it comes off all wrong.  You almost feel bad for him.  But when you think about him keeping secrets (not telling Robin that he was fired from NYU, not asking Lance if he could write his biography), you realize that he kinda dug his own hole.  I’m happy to say Robin did not get on my nerves in this movie like she did in the original.  I love Sanaa Lathan, almost as much as I love Kerry Washington, but Robin was ANNOYING in “The Best Man”.  Anywho, I honestly don’t think her character had a lot of airtime, but the time she was in the film interacting with Harper, she made valid points.  And she made me laugh.

I will say that Lance’s anger towards Harper was valid-he slept with his girl and kept it a secret-but he wrote about it in his book.  But Lance forgot someone else that should have felt a little bit of his wrath-Mia.  IMHO, I think Lance didn’t address Mia’s guilty part of the whole thing because of his views on gender roles.  If you remember from the first movie, he didn’t want his wife to work; he just wanted her to stay home and have his babies (which Mia did-four of them, but we’ll talk about the babies later.)  My thinking is that if a man believes a woman should be submissive, it probably means that he doesn’t think she has a mind of her own and can think for herself.  Or maybe he just didn’t want to address that his good girl wasn’t so good.  My girl Mia had to be the strongest person in this whole movie.  I knew at the second dinner that she was sick.  I whispered to my homegirl, “She looks really skinny”.  Monica Calhoun did a bang up job in this film, and this was probably her best role to date…seriously.

Now, Jordan is going to always be Jordan.  She’s strong, she’s tenacious, she’s a go-getter, she’s every woman’s woman.  I enjoyed seeing her be vulnerable with Brian McDaniels, or whatever his name was.  Even though Eddie Cibrian may be a dog in real life, he is one fine man to look at.  I’m glad she finally found love.  But it’s sad that it took her best friend getting sick for her to realize that life isn’t all about work.

Murch was SO wrong for showing Quentin the video of Candy. He was also wrong for sharing it with the guys while they were playing pool (something I totally missed the first time).  He definitely should have addressed it with Candy BEFORE they went to Lance and Mia’s home.  And especially before crazy Shelby was able to find the tape.  Now I do not condone violence, but Shelby kinda deserved to get swung on.  But I am mad that the fighting and name calling and cursing took place in front of the babies.  That was a little outrageous and over the top.  And I SO felt bad for Shelby’s daughter Kennedy.  Shelby’s old mean self…Speaking of, I’m glad they explained why Shelby was there, because I was giving her the side eye.

Anywho, last certainly not least, my boy Quentin.  He always speaks the truth, no matter how crazy his message comes out.  But why do he and Shelby always have to end up in bed together??? It’s slightly nauseating.

Side-eye worthy moments: When Lance threw up the hook and said, “Frienship is Essential to the Soul”.  If you’re not a member of a BGLO (black Greek lettered organization), you may not understand. While names were not mentioned, it was pretty clear that Lance is a member of Omega Psi Phi and Mia (and by default Shelby) was a member of Delta Sigma Theta (Shout out to our centennial year!!!).  Morris Chestnut is a not an Omega; he’s a member a different fraternity.  And I’ll leave that there.  Also, the Sullivan children. LJ and Hope (the two oldest) look like they could actually be Lance and Mia’s children.  But the youngest two (August and Faith) look like the casting director said, “I’m finished.  Put whomever you want in those roles” because those children look NOTHING like their fictional parents.  And I know it’s a movie, but sheesh.

The moments I cried: When Harper caught Mia coughing.  When Jordan cried.  When Mia sang with the girls.  When Marsha Ambrosius and Anthony Hamilton sang “As”.  When Lance broke down at the gravesite.

So, yes, this was mighty lengthy, but I had a lot to say about this film.  I give this a 9.5 out of 10.  And as I said in a previous post, there does not need to be a Part 3.

What did you all think?  Love it?  Hate it?  Loved the story?  Did you cry, too?  Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city!

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