Film Review: ‘Ride Along 2’ Takes a Bumpy Trip to a Dead End

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Average: 5 (1 vote)

CHICAGO – Kevin Hart’s license to riff should be revoked. “Ride Along 2” is an aimless, pointless and seemingly endless sequel to the bafflingly successful action comedy from a couple years back. Hart hijacks nearly every scene with his incessant hyperactive schtick.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 1.5/5.0
Rating: 1.5/5.0

This turns the entire film into an excuse for Hart to scream, squeal, and test the limits of an audience’s endurance. An entire scene is devoted to the testing the idea of just how annoying he can before someone in the audience snaps and wishes him bodily injury. Meanwhile, Ice Cube just stands around looking down in disgust and wondering whether this movie was really worth the time and trouble.

Hart has found success in essentially two genres, buddy comedies and wedding comedies. So “Ride Along 2” is something of a Frankenstein’s monster mashup between the two. Hart is now one week away from marrying Ice Cube’s sister, and has just gotten through the police academy and is starting out on the force. Cube is the same no nonsense detective with a little more of the Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon “I’m getting too old for this shit” kind of vibe. Together they head down to Miami to investigate a computer hacker (Ken Jeong) with ties to a low level Atlanta criminal.

The setup is simple. Hart wants to show he can be a real detective, Ice Cube doesn’t think he’s got what it takes. Hart gets into trouble, screams a little, Cube saves the day. Sprinkle in every labored pun, put down, and insult about Hart’s diminutive stature. Resolve, and Repeat. There’s even a more pointless subplot involving Hart trying to win some respect from his wife’s Wedding Planner. Hart screams a little, gets shut down. Resolve and Repeat.

”Ride Along 2” is in theaters everywhere. Featuring Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Tika Sumpter, Olivia Munn, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong, Bruce McGill and Sherri Shepherd. Written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. Directed by Tim Story. Rated “PG-13”

StarContinue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “Ride Along 2”

Kevin Hart, Ice Cube
Kevin Hart and Ice Cube in ‘Ride Along 2’
Photo credit: Universal Studios

StarContinue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “Ride Along 2”

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