I'm going to preface this review by saying the I really like Tiffany Haddish. I think she's hilariously funny, always brightens up any movie or show she's in and overall has a kicka*s attitude to life that I love. She was great in Girls Trip and the comedy special They Ready was also very refreshing. So I was expecting great things from her Netflix special, Tiffany Haddish Black Mitzvah. However, while some parts are very funny, overall it fell just a little flat for me.
Now I'm not expecting to be in stitches crying laughing on the floor for a full hour when watching any comedy special. There are always going to be jokes that land and those that don't. But for me, this special just seemed to be trying too hard. Essentially the show revolves around the fact that Tiffany has turned 40. To celebrate she is finally going to get her bat mitzvah, as she says herself to honour her father. But more than that she is embarking on a road to full-grown womanhood and wants to share the lessons she has learned along the way.
So far so good. However, there's an over-the-top element that sort of detracts from what should be very funny anecdotes. When she talks about herself it's great – the nightmare of going out in Miami before a new year's eve gig, or having her grandmother lives with her and how it ruins any love life. But strangely, those off the cuff jokes tend to be limited and delivered as an afterthought. Plus there was a lot of self-promotion and name-dropping thrown in as she lists off all the great things she has achieved as reasons for going out on the town. BTW, I'm not suggesting that listing your accomplishments is a bad thing, after all, she has achieved incredible things and should shout them from the rooftops. But I just don't think that it really added to the overall context of the story she was telling.
Overall, Tiffany Haddish Black Mitzvah is funny in parts but is nowhere near the standard of comedy that she is capable of. Like a lot of comedians who have Netflix specials, the material seems rushed, unpolished and is there to fulfill a contractual obligation.
