Verdict
Summary
Ride Along 2 is more of the same and if you’re not a fan of Kevin Hart then this won’t convert you; it’s not all that memorable but it has a few decent laughs and fun action scenes to maybe check out on a Saturday night.
Plot: As his wedding day approaches, Ben heads to Miami with his soon-to-be brother-in-law James to bring down a drug dealer who’s supplying the dealers of Atlanta with product.
Review: The first Ride Along is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me and I’ll admit that I have to be in the right mood for Kevin Hart. It’s more of the same for part 2 which isn’t terrible but doesn’t really stand out in the already overcrowded buddy movie genre.
There is no sophistication to the script and the laughs are mostly cheap but some of them do the job though. The addition of Ken Jeong as hacker A.J. is welcome as he provides some entertaining moments; his discussion about Empire vs. Jedi was certainly a highlight.
This entry is even sillier than the first with a car chase literally turning into a video game; it was an innovative idea though and gave us something new as we’ve all seen a million car chases by now.
Ride Along 2 actually feels more like a homage to 80’s actioners as the finale takes place at the docks with crates falling all around which was a fun sequence.
Hart’s constant squealing and irritating behavior does grate by the end and you want him to shut up at various points. Ice Cube’s character James Payton is basically the audience who tries his best not to punch him in the face while playing it straight. He still has a few choice lines as well and is believably hardass.
I’m not entirely sure Olivia Munn was convincing as a Miami cop but at least she looked great; it would have been better if she got to have some more action though.
Benjamin Bratt’s Antonio Pope was a decent villain who is a little underused and I would have liked to see more of him.
Overall, Ride Along 2 is more of the same and if you’re not a fan of Kevin Hart then this won’t convert you; it’s not all that memorable but it has a few decent laughs and fun action scenes to maybe check out on a Saturday night.
