MOVIE OF THE WEEK (1/17/14): RIDE ALONG

"Damn – I didn't know Triple X: State of the Union was as bad as Soul Plane was!" James (Ice Cube) and Ben (Kevin Hart) look on after narrowly avoiding danger in a scene from director Tim Story's new urban buddy comedy RIDE ALONG. Credit: © 2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. 

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter, Jay Pharoah, Gary Owen, David Banner (the rapper, not the comic book character who becomes the Incredible Hulk) and Bryan Callen

WRITER(S): Greg Coolidge, Jason Mantzoukas, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (screenplay); Greg Coolidge (story)

DIRECTOR(S): Tim Story

WEB SITE: http://ridealong.com/

60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS (OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS ONE CAN TRY TO MAKE):
Continuing the tradition of the buddy cop comedy featuring the serious guy and the loudmouth, fast-talking guy, Ride Along stars Ice Cube as James Payton, a hard-nosed, take-no-guff Atlanta detective. Working a case with his buddies Miggs (Bryan Callen) and Santiago (John Leguizamo) to bring the notorious Omar – a crime lord who no one knows what he looks like – James is dedicated to only one thing more than he is his job.

That "thing" isn't a thing at all; it's his sister Angela (Tika Sumpter) – and that's a problem for Ben Barber (Kevin Hart).

Known as "BlackHammer" to his online gaming buddies, Ben is a high school security guard who longs to one day become a real police officer ... And marry Angela. Unfortunately, James is convinced Ben isn't good enough, let alone big enough, to become a real cop. But Ben is determined to prove his worth to get James' blessing, which leads to James having the perfect idea: A ride along to crush Ben's dreams.

But what happens when Ben tags along with James for the day ... It might just end up being a ride neither one of them is ever going to forget ...

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Longstanding die-hard Kevin Hart fans; people who enjoy watching light-hearted comedies with engaging co-stars; people who enjoy watching Ice Cube scowl

WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: Hart's fans looking to see him do something closer to his stand-up antics; those tired of the standard formula buddy cop movie (or in this case, something that may still be too similar to it); Ice Cube fans looking for him to be more like his cop character in 21 Jump Street

BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? It's simple, harmless and pretty easy to digest ... But thanks to Hart's ability to be engaging, it remains entertaining enough to satisfy both his core fans and potential new ones alike.

WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: Dating back to Eddie Murphy after his historic rise in the 1980s, it seems that about 4-5 years or so, Hollywood decides to select a new African-American (henceforth in this post simply as "black") stand-up comedian and see if he can become the next big star. Don't believe me? Everyone in the know in the black community knows it's been happening since the 80s (language NSFW). From Chris Rock to Chris Tucker to Bernie Mac/Cedric the Entertainer to Dave Chappelle to Katt Williams on down the line, Hollywood has not been hurting for someone to take over the reins, or at least attempt to in many, many years.

Now being groomed as the latest "overnight" (he's not) sensation to rise to the throne, Hart turns in an effective performance as Ben, throwing in jokes in bursts with just enough energy to keep things moving without being over-the-top. His rapport with Ice Cube doesn't feel forced which helps the situation, especially since the film is essentially the two of them for the majority of its 2 hour run time. Yes, there are the requisite short jokes, Hart breaking down and doing his now trademark 'help me!' style cry-shouting in panicked situations, but there's a reason for them: They work more often than not to bring about a laugh.

Other than that, there's not a lot you really need to know about Ride Along – if you watch the film's trailer above and find yourself giggling or actually laughing out loud, you'll likely find the full trip worth the ride (pun intended). Sumpter makes the most of her role as the voice of reason between Cube's and Hart's characters, but given how much focus is on them, she is essentially a third wheel who could have contributed more.

All in all, Ride Along delivers what it is supposed to; it just lacks ... Something to make it stand out enough to neither be classic or feel like one. Call it the Rush Hour proxy: You can make a funny buddy cop comedy ... But that won't make it one that will go down in the annals of time. Fortunately for Hart, however, it does a lay another brick in a path that might lead to one soon enough.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):