RIDE ALONG
US, 2014, 105 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, John Leguizamo, Bruce M cGill, Laurence Fishburne, Tika Sumpter.
Directed by Tim Storey
Ride Along is an American term, perhaps universal, for someone accompanying a police officer in his rounds. This is what it means here in this very American comedy.
Ride Along was extremely successful at the American box office – perhaps the reason that it had featured release in other countries around the world. While it is specifically geared to the American audience, especially the African- American audience, it is much more accessible than some of the other comedies, especially some in the past which have featured Ice Cube.
One of the pluses (perhaps minuses) for the film is the presence of comedian Kevin Hart. For some audiences, he will be particularly irritating with his patter and his stupidities. For others, he will be hilarious. And, for others, he may be an acquired taste. Since he is going to appear in a number of upcoming films, his reputation and appeal will be tested.
He is the comic figure in this rather odd couple, playing Ben, the comedian, to Ice Cube’s straight man. And Ice Cube plays it very straight indeed. His James is a straight arrow policeman in Atlanta, tends to go out on his own, trying to find and confront a big drug dealer, Omar. One entertaining piece of the film is that when Omar eventually turns up, he is played by Laurence Fishburne. James has a sister who is in love with Ben. James can’t believe it and says he will only give his blessing if Ben accompanies him on a ride along.
The ride along provides most of the comedy as Ben makes out that he is a top policeman and gets himself entangled with bikies, one of whom is woman whom he mistakes as a man; goes to a park to interrogate a boy about his criminal brother who gets the better of him; accosts a drunken man in the supermarket; and goes to a gun range and tries out guns beyond his capacities with kickback results.
When he discovers that he has been set up for jokes at his expense and destined to fail, he decides he will play along and goes to the next episode, ultimately finding out that it is real and that he was dealing with actual gangsters.
Of course, Ben is going to prove himself and this is the case when James confronts the drug gang and Ben steps in to handle the situation by impersonating Omar – which, whether we like Kevin Hart or not, is quite funny.
All’s well that ends well, except the final boo-boo that is typical of Ben.
Anyone for Ride Along 2 – more than probably. (Actually, it is already listed in the IMDB for 2016!)
1. A popular comedy? US box office? The American audiences? Afro-Americans? Worldwide? Characters and style?
2. The title, Ben riding along with James?
3. The Atlanta settings, homes precincts, the situations with Ben and James Parkes, clubs, streets, the warehouse?
4. Stuns, the appeal, the background of stand-up comedy, repartee, the comic man, the straight man Western Mark the odd couple? The musical score and? It’s who? Its moods?
5. The comic influences, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy? Bed Boys and police partner films?
6. Introduction to be, or good, incessantly talking, playing computer games, the fire, the encounters with James? His love Angela, the engagement?
7. James, his police work, straight arrow, his boss? Santiago and his partner? The situation with over, his work in time to discover her mother’s identity,
arrest him?
8. James’s reaction to Ben, worry about his sister, their adoption background? Only giving his blessing it been were to ride along? Ben applying to the police Academy? The two working of each other comedy and serious scenes?
9. The situations on the ride along, the bike is staking the, the discussions with the boy in the Park about his brother, going to the gun range, wanting to fight the guns and the reaction? Going to the disturbance in the supermarket, the drunk man, stripping, honey? Is offering clues James?
10. Back at the present, James of the others joking about the set up? Interviewing? The new 126 going, his that is real, his performance with the gangsters, the reality, the shots, the arrests?
11. The tip at the warehouse, the James to work ‘handed? The discovery that Santiago and his part? Ben hearing this, deciding to perform as Omar, the comedy of his impersonation of big gangster, his pint-size, the jargon, the gun, the comedy of people believing him? The real Omar arriving? Getting James
the gun, the shootout, the grenades? Bed with the hole in his leg?
12. Angela, love for their, 60, playing the computer games, the friends and their warning, the mother of the group coming to her house, tying, Ben James their tactics, getting the house, fights, the? Omar taken off in the ambulance?
14. The boss, commending James? James giving his blessing to Ben for the wedding?
15. The barbecue, the final comedy, the fire!
