Ride Along 2

Starring: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Ken Jeong, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Tika Sumpter, Bruce McGill, Michael Rose, Sherri Shepherd, Tyrese Gibson
Directed by: Tim Story
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Comedy
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Ben (Kevin Hart) and James (Ice Cube) head to Miami before Ben's wedding and get caught up in a dangerous drug cartel.

Review:

Tim: After being underwhelmed by the original movie, I wasn't too excited about Ride Along 2. Most sequels aren't as good as the first one, and when the bar isn't set very high, you typically see an even further drop. If we're looking for the silver lining here, Ride Along 2 is about even with the first movie. Granted, there's that low bar we mentioned. But, at least the quality didn't decrease with this sequel. If you watched the first movie, you know exactly what you're getting with this one. That's not a big positive, but I have to give director Tim Story credit for consistency.

Like last time, I didn't find this movie very funny at all. The writing is quite lazy and I still don't know why people find Kevin Hart funny. However, there's at least some level of entertainment to be had from watching the two leads do their thing. Hart isn't funny, but you have to give him credit for bringing a great deal of energy to the role. That's somewhat contagious, even though what he's saying is generally flat and uninspired. You also have to enjoy Ice Cube just being gruff and stoic. It doesn't require much from him, but he does it well. Seeing these two diametrically opposed demeanors does create some mildly entertaining moments. That's the biggest thing this movie has going for it.

The supporting cast is fine. I always want to like Ken Jeong more than I do, but he plays a role here that's firmly in his wheelhouse. You can do a lot worse than having him in the film and letting him do his thing. Benjamin Bratt makes for a suave antagonist. He was fine in the role. It was nice seeing Tika Sumpter and Bruce McGill again, but they had even less to do the second time around, which was discouraging. They are two of the brighter spots and their roles were diminished here. I also have to call out Olivia Munn, who continues to be one of the worst actresses on the planet. She's so terrible, everything she did here made me cringe. I really, really, really don't ever want to hear her open her mouth on screen. She cannot act, end of story. She wrecks any scene she's in.

The story is pretty lazy- like last time, there's just enough plot here to hold things together. It certainly didn't attempt to do anything different or memorable. It's the same old crime plot we've seen in dozens of crappy movies over the years. It really comes across as an afterthought.

I'm a little surprised I didn't dislike the movie more. After seeing the first one, though, I knew exactly what to expect. This movie plays it same by delivering more of the same. You certainly wish it could have fixed some of the issues, but at least it didn't get worse. The movie isn't terrible, but it never makes you excited to watch it. Ride Along 2 made $44 million less than the first film (maybe audiences are wising up), but it still made a bunch of money. I haven't heard if we'll be subjected to more films, but I hope this is the last one. It's possible they could round out the trilogy by maintaining the same level of quality, but I'd be willing to bet it all falls apart if they go another round. Let's hope this is a two and done.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Ride Along, 48 Hrs., Rush Hour