Tim Story’s last movie, the blockbuster “Think Like a Man,” helped launch the film career of comedian Kevin Hart, so it’s no surprise the director who is behind hits such as “Barbershop,” “Taxi” and the epic adventure “Fantastic Four” was eager to work with the actor again. A movie which stars Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, Hart plays a fast-talking security guard called Ben who joins his cop brother-in-law James (Cube) on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta in order to prove himself worthy of marrying James’ sister Angela (Tika Sumpter).
Cube and Kevin in a scence from Ride Along – Photo by Quantrell Colbert
Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee but the wild night takes a dangerous turn and leads the duo to the most notorious criminal in the city – a mysterious crime figure known only as “Omar.”
Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the line-up in Ride Along – Photo by Quantrell Colbert
“What’s great about Cube and Kevin is that they are such great storytellers and the good thing about it is that when we finally met to discuss the project, they got along very well,” shares Story. “You could tell in the room that their humor together would play amazingly well on camera as they have a great chemistry.”
Kevin Hart plays Ben Barber in Ride Along – photo by Quantrell Colbert
An action caper also starring John Leguizamo and Laurence Fishburne, comedy proves abundant, whether it’s the height difference between Ben and Angela or the incorporation of Cube’s iconic rap lyrics into the movie’s dialogue. Adding, the relationship between Kevin and Cube works so well because of the dynamics. Cube has the classic Cube scowl while Kevin is the screwball who generates plenty of laughs.
“Classic buddy comedies work so well with two people in conflicted situations just being funny,” Story adds.
Attempting to mirror “Training Day” and other action-comedy like “48 Hours” and “Trading Places” which the director cites as inspirations, there’s plenty of action which comes out blazing from the first scene with a shootout and motorcycles crashing through glass, several gun battles, fist fights and car chases.
Tika Sumpter – Photo by Quantrell Colbert
“We had an opportunity to do some really cool driving sequences. We had guns going off and blew up a building. Even Kevin got a kick out of being able to shoot big guns,” says producer Will Packer.
Predictable but likable, “Ride Along” is a lighthearted movie which will resonate with an audience.
Samantha Ofole-Prince is a journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film. She serves as the Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa.
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