[yasr_overall_rating]
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.
Miami always seems to provide the perfect backdrop for wheeling and dealing and just plain living the high life. What it doesn’t seem to provide in this film is enough sustenance to make it stand out any more than it would have in any other metropolitan city. In spite of the music and party atmosphere, much too soon, the movie becomes predictable and at times even boring as it attempts to make subtle changes in order to keep the momentum going to attract and retain a large following of Ice Cube/Kevin Hart fans. While there are many opportunities to laugh throughout the film, in the end, it appears to be recycled humor. True enough the addition of Benjamin Bratt (Pope) and Ken Jeong (A.J.) add a deeper meaning to the storyline and a few more opportunities for complexity, but outside of that, it appears to be more of the same as the original “Ride Along.”
Director Tim Story appears to know what it takes to be successful in this industry and he obviously has enough drawing power to command a level of actors that are capable of doing the job. The good guy versus bad guy theme is a safe one to go with because there will always be enough support for both sides to maintain a healthy balance of entertainment. With all the tools necessary to raise this film to another level, it appears that not enough risk was taken to ensure that moviegoers would feel this was part 2 instead of an addendum to part 1.
If you’re into action and adventure movies, then “Ride Along 2” may provide you with an outlet that has plenty of opportunities to fill that need. If you like love stories, it’s even better. Rookie Ben Barber (Kevin Hart), the underdog who never seems to be able to do enough to earn his future brother-in-law James Payton’s (Ice Cube) trust, goes through gut-wrenching situations hoping to become a great detective and an even better husband for his fiance Angela Payton (Tika Sumpter). In the end, Ben proves himself worthy, but doesn’t realize when enough is enough. Do yourself a favor and see it just for the laughs, but pray that “Ride Along 3” isn’t already in the works.
In theaters January 15th
