In his first of three films to be released in 2013, Kevin Hart is working relentlessly to maintain his crown as the “it” black comedian for mainstream America. This weekend he’ll be doing so from the passenger’s seat with Ice Cube along for “Ride Along.”
Hart plays Ben, a high school security guard recently accepted into the Police Academy who is seeking to earn the approval and blessing of his fiancée’s older brother James (Ice Cube), a seasoned Atlanta detective.
James challenges Ben to a “ride along” to prove he’s up to the task of safeguarding Angela (Tika Sumpter) and worthy of her hand in marriage – and what sets out to be just another day on the APD turns out to be anything but.
“Ride Along” is the traditional buddy cop movie – with the exception that Hart’s character Ben is not quite a cop.
The film doesn’t in any way attempt to recreate the wheel as they provide every familiar element of the standard police comedy – mismatched partners, a straight man, comic relief, a double cross and an accidental stumble upon “the big case.”
There is absolutely nothing fresh about the storyline – but thanks to Tim Story’s direction and the shameless antics of Hart, audiences are spared from absolute boredom.
What he lacks in cleverness and wit, Hart compensates with physical comedy, energy, timing and charisma. His role as Ben Barber in “Ride Along” is the perfect illustration – and makes him a standout among the urban comedian-turned-actors in recent years.
As Hart playing Kevin Hart as Ben Barber, he takes full responsibility for entertaining the crowd in every scene – which is a good thing, because Ice Cube tends to play his character entirely too straight-laced.
Cube’s rigid portrayal of James is unconvincing, uncomfortable and boring as he barely cracks a smile. Cube and Hart appear to have showed up to two different movies. Hart is in the throes of a slapstick cop comedy, while Cube obviously believes he’s starring in a crime thriller.
Clearly an odd couple, in “Ride Along” the two don’t muster up the chemistry to make their pairing convincing – or funny – until the film is almost over.
When Laurence Fishburne enters the film, it becomes apparent that a more commanding cast could have made all of the difference. In his cameo, Fishburne leaves more of an impression than most of the cast – including Sumpter, John Leguizamo, Gary Owen and Bryan Callen.
“Ride Along” offers scattered chuckles and a handful of seriously funny moments, but falls short when paired against the likes of its contemporaries in the funny cop movie subgenre. Casting choices and a clever spin on the screenplay could have meant otherwise. The film will be remembered (if at all) as a cute but formulaic comedy – and a stepping stone for Kevin Hart.
“Ride Along” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, Jan. 17. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 100 minutes.
