“Ride Along” stars Kevin Hart and Ice Cube as future brothers-in-law with near opposite personalities. The two face a unique set of challenges during a routine police ride along that turns unexpectedly eventful. “Ride Along’s” unique combination of comedy, action and character growth results in a funny, feel-good film with a satisfying ending. It delivers enough mayhem, of both the action and the comedic sort, to keep audiences entertained.
Fans of Kevin Hart’s stand-up comedy will find a lot to love about “Ride Along.” He is hysterical as Ben Barber, a high school security guard who prides himself on his video game prowess. The fast-talking and diminutive would-be slacker has his eyes set on the police academy. He hopes to secure a job as a full-fledged officer in anticipation of marrying his girlfriend Angela Payton, played by Tika Sumpter.
Angela’s brother, James Payton, played by Ice Cube, is put off by Ben’s bumbling, slacker ways. As a protective older brother, the Atlanta police veteran does not believe Ben will make a suitable husband for his sister. The hard-nosed cop comes up with the perfect solution. He decides to take Ben on a ride along to test his mettle.
James suspects that the overly-chatty, gaming-obsessed Ben will soon grow bored with the series of routine ride along stops. He and his partners, played by John Leguizamo and Bryan Callen, distract Ben with simple tasks, such as breaking up a dispute between two teens playing a pick up game, laughing and shaking their heads when he inevitably bungles them. Meanwhile, James secretly works on a big case. The Atlanta detective and his partners are trying to bring down a local crime boss named Omar and are close to cracking the case. The ill-timed ride along coincides with a major arms deal involving Omar. When Ben catches wind of what’s going on, he offers his help in hopes of proving himself as a man and as a future police officer. These developments take the ride along in a whole new direction, and the search for Omar gives rise to several plot twists and results in an exciting showdown near the end of the film.
“Ride Along” is part comedy, part action movie and part coming-of-age film. Kevin Hart and Ice Cube are the cornerstones of the story and provide plenty of laugh-out-loud comedy. The actors work hard to earn laughs, and it shows. The ride along is punctuated with exciting shoot-outs and chase scenes, making it work as an action film. During a grave moment in which the main characters are engaged in close-range gunplay with Omar and his henchmen, Hart and Ice Cube are forced to trust one another with their lives, resulting in a new perspective that changes the nature of their relationship by the end of the film. Their character growth portrays a hopeful message about how important it is for family members to overcome differences and learn from one another.
Tim Story, who directed Hart in 2008’s “Think Like a Man” and Ice Cube in 2002’s “Barbershop,” plays to Hart and Ice Cube’s strengths, getting the best out of both actors. Hart combines male juvenilism with a healthy dose of machismo for a performance reminiscent of a young Eddie Murphy. His comedic brilliance shines through with heavy ad-libbing and constant, self-deprecating riffs on his short stature and lack of courage and sex appeal.
Ice Cube, with his dagger-like stare, over-the-top tirades and take-no-prisoners bravado, reminds you of why he was able to make such a successful transition from rapper to comedy actor in the first place. The actor excels at turning awkward silences and glowering stares into comedic gold and somehow makes seriousness seem funny. Together, he and Hart form an unlikely but effective pair. Cube’s aggressive, straight-man style is the perfect foil to Hart’s comedic mania. Their chemistry is undeniable, and they might be considered one of the best buddy-cop duos since Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan.