Review
Fresh off of his hit standup comedy film "Let Me Explain" Kevin Hart returns to the big screen with "Ride Along." While it may be far from the most memorable comedy I can't help but admit I enjoyed sitting through it.
Kevin Hart plays Ben an eccentric man who wants to marry the love of his life Angela (played by Tika Sumpter). Before he does he seeks to get the blessing of her brother James (played by Ice Cube) a tough loose cannon cop. In order to prove he's worthy of marrying James' sister Ben must join James on a day on his job as an officer. Eventually the two get wrapped up in a case neither of them were expecting.
As expected the film plays out like a typical buddycop comedy a cop teams up with someone he doesn't like or agree with and the two have to attempt to get along. While this basic plot line has indeed been done to death this film makes the fortunate decision to skip out on many movie clichés. There is no thirdactbreakup no mopey montage and no "you're off the case" or "you're fired" scene. While a lack of these clichés does hamper the conflict it is quite refreshing to see them absent from the film. On the other hand the script lends itself to other flaws. Several scenes seem to be included for the sole purpose of filling time (such as a random cameo by Jacob Latimore that amounts to nothing). Moreover the story can be very predictable at time even with a couple of random and nonsensical plot twists thrown in. Still though there is a lot of good to this film.
The dialogue while far from quotable is consistently funny and is almost guaranteed to keep the theater laughing. The jokes are delivered on a regular basis and never stray too far into campy or meanspirited territory. Unlike films like "Identity Thief" and Ȫ Madea Christmas" the tone of the film never strays from a comedic romp and always keeps the laughs coming.
Kevin Hart's performance itself is arguably worth the price of admission. Hart's lines are delivered with the impression that he is enjoying making this movie and his highenergy presence is sure to please his fans. If you are a fan of Kevin Hart you will most likely enjoy his screenpresence and his great chemistry with Ice Cube even if you find the script to be lacking.
"Ride Along" may not go down as a comedic legend but in my eyes it is certainly worth checking out at least as a rental. The flawed script can indeed be overlooked by the gleeful dialogue and Kevin Hart's enthusiasm. I'd say give it a shot it wouldn't hurt to check it out.