The brothers-in-law reunite for this trifling buddy cop sequel.
In Ride Along 2, Kevin Hart and Ice Cube return as soon-to-be-brothers-in-law Ben Barber and James Payton, who aim to take down a Miami drug lord (Benjamin Bratt) before Ben’s big wedding day. If you saw the first Ride Along, you probably know what you’re getting with the sequel — broad, mindless comedy — but fans of the two stars will likely find a few laughs in the movie.
Like the first film, Ride Along 2’s greatest assets are Hart and Ice Cube, particularly the former. Though his recent string of comedies are starting to feel mass-produced at this point, Hart never holds back his energy, and he fully commits to every wacky scene he’s in — even if the jokes are duds. Ice Cube, meanwhile, does his usual grumble-and-snarl routine, which works fine for his character. He and Hart play well off each other in their traditional “good cop/bad cop” roles.
We want to hear it.
That said, there’s nothing exciting or original about the movie’s antics, and for the most part it’s all stuff you’ve seen done bigger and better in other buddy cop comedies (including the first Ride Along). Every once in awhile, Hart gets caught up in a bit that soars. One particular ringtone gag had me laughing several times.
Aside from that though, it’s a paltry affair. Olivia Munn gets in on the action this time out, but her character’s icy, lifeless demeanor feels like a betrayal of the actress’s vivacious personality. Bratt couldn’t be a more stereotypical villain if he tried, and the less said about him the better. Really, the only worthwhile addition here is Ken Jeong as a disloyal computer whiz, but even he doesn’t reach Ben Chang levels of hilarity.
We want to hear it.
At a 102 minutes, Ride Along 2 has some pacing issues as well and seems overstuffed with too many set pieces. For example, near the end of the film, Ben and James infiltrate a swanky house party, which feels like they’re heading into a big showdown, only for that to be a precursor to yet another finale that takes place later. That’s not to mention the story itself, which is wholly uninspired.
Ride Along 2 is the kind of movie that’s best watched in the comfort of your own home, preferably for free and while consuming alcohol. As the followup to an already poorly received buddy comedy, it won’t be changing any minds about Kevin Hart or Ice Cube. It’s not without an occasional laugh or two — I stress “occasional” — but Ride Along 2 lacks emotion, runs long and doesn’t precipitate enough laughs to justify the price of admission.
