Rank: 3/5
When the brothers-in-law are back, there’s bound to be trouble on the horizon.
In “Ride Along 2,” Kevin Hart is funny as always, but Ken Jeong steals the show with his role as a hip ladies man and brilliant urban hacker. Jeong is a sweet surprise, combating Hart’s harsher jokes with wit and grace as well as maintaining a stand-out personality during the film.
While the premise of the movie focuses on officer Ben Barber’s (Hart) search for approval and recognition as a naturally sharp detective, the underlying struggles of creative control over his wedding ceremony and his rocky relationship with detective James Payton (Ice Cube) create key moments of quality comedy.
The cast of “Ride Along 2” seems to push each other toward a relaxed atmosphere of jokes, ranging from physical character flaws to excellently scripted shortcomings and mistakes. The recurring injuries Hart inflicts on new characters are hilarious, as well as the soft tissue manipulation Olivia Munn inflicts on Hart’s character.
Munn’s appearance is fruitful, adding a well tailored female foil to Ice Cube’s character, without detracting from their different strengths as actors. Munn’s performance and clothing don’t come off as objectifying, and she uses her character’s status as a source of empowerment.
Miami provides a well lit back-drop for the film, with the coastal environment being peppered with a idealistic beauty. Extras are beautiful, colorful and help round out the cast, while the minor characters are believable in that they add a slight dimension of reality to the film.
However, the few scenes shot in Atlanta don’t cater to Ice Cube and Hart’s vibrance and energy with the same flow as the bright and beautiful Miami.
The introduction of new characters and turf helps ground the subtle character development of James Payton, and highlights the surrounding latino culture that Miami carries without reading as a corny or contrived move.
While water is a frequent visual element of Miami’s makeup, some of the jokes and storyline can seem dull, dry and unnatural in conjunction with the type of camera shots and quality of film. The amount of foreshadowing becomes boring and cringe worthy at several points during the film.
In conclusion, “Ride Along 2” is a great family film, with enough zest to flavor up a night out.