Photo: Courtesy
Ride Along
Director: Tim Story.
Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter, Bryan Callen and Laurence Fishburne.
Run Time: 1 hr and 39 min.
Genre: Action/Comedy.
Rating: 5/10.
The buddy-cop movie theme common in films like Lethal Weapon, Starsky and Hutch, Bad Boys and The Heat returns to the cinema once again and this time Ice Cube and Kevin Hart are playing the lead roles.
In the film Kevin Hart plays videogame-obsessed Ben Barber, a high-school security guard who is eager to become a cadet at the Atlanta Police Academy.
Also Ben plans to marry Angela Payton, played by Tika Sumpter, but standing in his way is her overly protective older brother, James (Ice Cube), a gruff veteran cop who dislikes him. So in order to gain James’ approval, Ben agrees to accompany him on the titular ride along in his cop car to prove that he is a “man”.
What Ben does not know is that James and his partners have arranged a series of encounters to scare and shame him. In the midst of all the scaring and shaming, the two are forced to join forces in order to pursue a crime kingpin known as Omar played by Laurence Fishburne, who is embroiled in a deadly arms deal.
Thumbs Up
It has its funny moments and some great action scenes.
Thumbs Down
The script is the films biggest flaw; it is weak, formulaic, and very predictable. It also lacks any form of suspense and is so predictable that if you cannot guess the journey this film will take then you probably do not watch very many movies. Further the script is built on many ridiculous coincidences that act as the glue that pushes the film along.
It also offers nothing new in the buddy-cop film genre except maybe two new actors in the lead role.
Lastly if you have seen the trailer for Ride Along, you have already seen this movie.
Verdict
For Kevin Hart and Ice Cube fans or for those who simply want some good old brainless entertainment!
