Fun but forgettable

If you are looking for a comedy that will have you giggling throughout, but when it comes to recalling the jokes you can’t seem to remember the punchline … then hop in for the ride!

Those who enjoyed it didn’t go into the theatre expecting a plot as complicated as Inception, they went for the Hart-Cube duo.

The cast alone is a cash cow. The audience expects Hart’s motor mouth and high energy alongside Cube’s intimidating stare to produce all the laughs … they don’t even need to be good actors to make this film a hit … they have huge fan bases.

However, I was a little disappointed. I’m a huge Hart fan, but as a wannabe police officer, he didn’t quite do it for me. I was still rooting for him and laughing along, but it all seemed very forced. Simply put, when it comes to his jokes, he shoots blanks.

Cube, on the other hand, didn’t let anyone down as he hasn’t done anything exciting since Barbershop and the Friday series. Yet, it’s good to see he hasn’t aged a day since then.
The film follows Ben Barber (Hart), a video game geek who works as a security guard at a school, but has dreams of becoming a police officer. When he gets accepted into the Police Academy, he thinks it’s the perfect time to ask his girlfriend, Angela (Tika Sumpter) to marry him.

There’s just one problem … he must get her brother’s blessing before it is official.

James Payton (Ice Cube) is a stubborn and respected cop. He doesn’t have a partner at work because he prefers to get things done his own way. Not to mention, James and Ben don’t really have anything in common other than their love for the police force and for Angela.

James is overprotective of his sister, yet agrees to give Ben his blessing as long he joins him for a ‘ride along’, accompanying him for a day of work to prove he’s man enough for his sister and the job.

Overly enthusiastic Ben agrees and James takes advantage of every opportunity to prove that he isn’t cut out for the job. When Ben realises what James is doing, he plays along, until everything spins out of control and they both get themselves into trouble.

The story is very predictable, and as you may have guessed already, they finally find common ground and work together to solve a high profile case.

The movie is a great time waster and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is in the mood for 99 minutes of mindless fun.

Although Cube and Hart make a good pairing, it’s Hart who takes the wheel behind this comedy. Yes, his jokes may be lame, but it’s his slapstick comedy and mannerisms that makes this film enjoyable. It’s just a shame about the script!

Cube also shines in the action scenes, in fact, in the first five minutes the audience are taken through an explosive car chase scene, something that’s right up his alley. But, it’s the lack of energy and enthusiasm in his role, especially in comparison to Hart, that affected the film’s thrill-factor.

I guess the movie was a success as Ride Along 2 has already been announced. Despite the negativity around the sequel, I will definitely be watching it when it is released. I just hope that they make better use of Hart … maybe get him to write the script!

* Showing in Cineco, Seef II, Saar Cineplex