By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ
Kevin Hart is such a busy comedian and actor, and he’s everywhere in movies lately. The second installment of “Ride Along,” “Ride Along 2,” with “Ice Cube,” who plays James, is just funny enough, as far as I’m concerned, to be entertaining.
Hart is engaged to Ice Cube’s sister, Angela, played by the beautiful Tika Sumpter, and he’s really trying to fit in and bond with his future brother-in-law, who plays an Atlanta police officer. James is charged with going after a criminal played by Benjamin Pratt (sort of a light-weight Ricardo Montalban) who seems to be dabbling in illegal goods that are coming into the United States from a port in Miami. So, it’s off to Miami they both go. Well, Hart, who plays Ben, isn’t really a welcome guest, as he rides along with James, and it’s just days before Hart’s wedding, but James figures he’ll give him one last chance to make a fool out of himself and essentially ruin his chances of making an appointment above cadet with the Atlanta Police Department into a full-fledged police officer. But Hart, who plays Ben, outdoes himself and wins James’ favor before the movie ends.
Ken Jeong, who plays Dr. Ken on ABC Friday nights and was previously in the “Hangover” franchise, plays a worrisome techie named A. J., who is on Pratt’s list but falls into the company of James and Ben as they all hunt down the culprit.
Ben is a gamer at heart, and he spends much time playing video games that involve crazy car chases. His use of knowledge around the video games adds much spark to the movie, and I really enjoyed the chase scenes.
“Ride Along 2” is almost your basic “good-cop-bad-cop” movie, but in this case the bad cop is James, because he treats Ben so poorly. Eventually, however, he is encouraged to lighten up a bit, and in the end he is grateful to have had Ben on the trip with him.
Gospel singer Yolanda Adams makes a cameo as the minister who marries Angela and Ben, and Sherri Shepherd plays the overbearing wedding planner. The party scenes are sizzling, as well as the action in “Ride Along 2.” Moreover, it is really doing well at the box office, having knocked the latest edition in the “Star Wars” franchise off its perch. “Ride Along 2” is playing at theaters everywhere.
