Universal Pictures
Sometimes a sequel manages to match the energy of the movie that preceded it. Such is the case with Ride Along 2, the latest movie from Cube Vision, Universal Pictures and Will Packer Productions. When you find a formula that works at the box office, one can hardly blame Hollywood for repeating it for continued lucrative success. Kevin Hart’s fast-talking, always-on-the-seat-of-his-pants Ben Barber is once more perfectly paired with the always cool, calm and collected Ice Cube as Detective James Payton of the Atlanta Police Department. Ben has now graduated from the police academy, but is still trying to prove himself as a valuable member of the force while under his probationary period. He’s also still trying to prove himself to James, who will soon be his brother-in-law once he finally marries his sister, Angela (Tika Sumpter).
Overall, Ride Along 2 does a good job of convincing the audience of the continuity of the story. It feels like we haven’t missed a beat between movies. I wish I could say there’s been some character development also happening during that period, but Ben and James haven’t changed in the slightest. How many times is Ben going to have to prove himself to James before he earns the respect that he should have had all along? He’s not a bad guy, and Angela could have done far worse. He may be accident-prone, but nobody can argue about his commitment to his career. If anything, you could probably accuse him of being “too by the book” and not trusting enough of his gut instincts as a cop.
James still doesn’t have much respect for Ben’s potential as a police officer, despite his help at capturing the bad guys during the first Ride Along. He chalks up that success to “beginner’s luck,” saying it’s gone to his head and he’s in for a soul-crushing let-down when he isn’t promoted to detective any time soon. After some pleading from Angela (who needs Ben out of her hair so she can finalize the details of their upcoming wedding with the super bossy wedding planner Cori [Sherri Shepherd]), James decides against his better judgment to take Ben with him on a case to Miami to find computer hacker A.J. (Ken Jeong), who may hold the information they need to bring down a major Atlanta drug dealer. This time around, the stakes are much higher, as both men find their careers – and lives – on the line.
Newcomers Ken Jeong, Olivia Munn and Benjamin Bratt all fit perfectly in the storyline, although some may argue they’re not utilized to their full acting potential. A.J. is a complex weasel of a character, in that he’s always looking out for himself and his best interests. There’s a certain camaraderie between him and Ben that’s a nice relief from the constant bickering between Ben and James. Maya (Munn) is a tough-as-nails Miami cop who also serves as a convenient love interest/plus-one for Ben’s wedding for James, while Antonio Pope (Bratt) is a prominent but shady businessman who keeps busy by stirring his hands in the pots of various international illegal activities, including drug smuggling. Some are criticizing Bratt’s villain as being too stereotypical, but that’s kind of what I enjoyed about him. He’s so flat you can’t help but laugh. And he’s suave enough to give other villains a run for their money.
But I’ve got to hand it to Kevin Hart. Not only must he be one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, for it feels like he keeps releasing picture after picture (does he ever rest?), but the man knows how to make a splashy entrance or exit. Whether he’s showing up to ruin an undercover narcotics bust by conspicuously blasting “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea while cruising in an obnoxious overly-souped-up muscle car or he’s leaving his own wedding via boat complete with mishaps, you can’t help but smile at his zany antics. And Hart really couldn’t ask for a better straight man than Ice Cube. Cube is an intimidating presence even when he’s a wisecracking one – one of my favorite lines delivered by Jeong’s character to Cube’s went something like, “Look at you! You would run from you!” There’s probably not a better pairing for good cop/bad cop than these two.
If you enjoyed the first Ride Along, I think you’ll be pleased with the sequel. While it may not be the best 2016 will have to offer, it has enough laughs to keep the momentum going and provide some much-needed relief during an otherwise dreary winter day. It exceeded my expectations in a genre that’s not my wheelhouse, and I even got my wish granted from the first movie – Ice Cube finally gets so annoyed by Hart’s character that he bitchslaps him in a memorable party scene. However you felt about the first Ride Along, it surprisingly grossed over $150 million. This duo might have the last laugh at all the haters.
Ride Along 2 has a running time of 1 hour 42 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, sexual content, language and some drug material.
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