Hart/Ice Cube rescue ‘Ride Along’

By Samantha Hunter

Fans of Kevin Hart’s standup will enjoy seeing their favorite comedian with his acting pants (probably picked out of the children’s section like the rest of his wardrobe) on in the new movie “Ride Along” featuring Ice Cube.

The story begins with Ben (Hart) trying to get his girlfriend’s brother James’ (Ice Cube) blessing in order to marry her. Once a gamer and school rent-a-cop, Ben finally gets accepted into the police academy after James takes him on the feature’s titular “ride along” around the town, dealing with the annoying calls that other police officers don’t want to deal with. As this plot device ferries them from ridiculous situation to ludicrous dilemma, Ben finds clues that will help them track a criminal that James has been trying to catch for the past two years. The film makes use of the timeless buddy cop theme explored by contemporaries “The Other Guys,” and “21 Jump Street”  as Ben and James learn to put aside their issues and work as a team.

The comedy, while admittedly formulaic, keeps the movie in humorous gear by virtue of Hart and Ice Cube’s devotion to classic comedic tropes of imposing straight man and diminutive funny guy.

The plot suffers from a similarly formulaic structure, but Hart’s insane antics keep the audience’s attention off the predictable narrative.

The second Ice Cube opens up with the line, “Today is a good day,” the humor keeps the audience entertained throughout the hour and a half.

sahunter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

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