Should you watch this for free? Only if you’re a fan of Kevin Hart or Ice Cube.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? No.
Score: 1.5/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 101 minutes (~1.75 hours)
“Ride Along 2” is a comedy that’s the sequel to 2014’s “Ride Along.” Rookie cop Ben forces himself on senior detective James’ mission to Miami, and finds himself embroiled in a crime lord’s scheme. Unfunny hijinks ensue. It stars Ice Cube (James Payton), Kevin Hart (Ben Barber), Ken Jeong (A.J.), Benjamin Bratt (Antonio Pope), and Olivia Munn (Maya Cruz). It is rated PG-13.
“Ride Along 2” officially cements Kevin Hart as one of the most irritating comedians in film, and calling him a comedian is already being very generous. His shallow, slapstick antics are only outmatched by the shrill shrieking of every line he has. It’s astonishing how this sequel was spawned, and the fact that anyone wants to claim credit for this colossal waste of time is mind boggling.
Highlights
Racially diverse cast
This is the premise of the film, after all, and all the major protagonists and antagonists are non-Caucasians. This helps avoid unfortunate implications on both the heroic or villainous side of the story and gives us a semblance of variety. However, this is the only strength of the film.
Letdowns
Kevin Hart is infernally irritating
Kevin Hart’s idea of comedy is to perform his dialogue in a rapid-fire high-pitched squeal, with the idea that the louder and faster it is, the funnier it is. It’s not. There are zero redeeming qualities for his character. He has no competency as a police officer, all his victories are due to luck, and even as a person he’s dislikeable. Unfortunately, this is his style of comedy — take a look at “Get Hard” for more examples of endless screaming.
Not enough action
It’s billed as an action comedy, but there are so many domestic scenes that you could mistake Ben (Kevin Hart) and James (Ice Cube) as house husbands squabbling for a good supermarket deal. It makes mild attempts to qualify as “action” through some chase sequences and shootouts, but it’s not enough.
Ice Cube and Kevin Hart have no chemistry
The fun, buddy cop dynamic that’s a staple of such films is most definitely not in this film. The two actors are off doing their own things, only interacting when the script mandates it. If some comedy resulted from their bickering then it would be still be worthwhile, but there’s none.
Not funny
The most damning aspect of the film is that it’s not funny, unless you find a screaming Kevin Hart, a bland Ice Cube and an oddly subdued Ken Jeong funny. There are, at best, a handful of chuckles to be had in the film. But for a moving picture that calls itself a comedy and boasts two comedians, it’s surprisingly lame.
If you’re looking for a good comedy or action film, you can do much better than “Ride Along 2.”
“Ride Along 2” opens in cinemas 25 February 2016 (Thursday).
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