Review // Ride Along 2

[projekktor id=’22760′]

Ride Along 2 puts an emphasis on the 2. The sequel sees the return of Ice Cube and Kevin Hart for a lighthearted predictable buddy-cop comedy that echoes the same sentiments of the first.

Following the events of the first film, Hart’s Ben Barnes has finally made it onto the Atlanta police force. Despite being fresh out of the academy and a probationary beat cop, Ben attempts to infiltrate vice cases helmed by his soon to be brother-in-law Det. James Payton (Ice Cube) and botches an undercover mission. Frustrated with Ben, James decides to take him on a real assignment, and the pair head off to Miami in search of a mysterious new drug king pin (Benjamin Bratt). James wants to teach Ben that there’s a lot more to detective work than dumb luck (which is what got the pair through their first adventure) while Ben sees the trip as a chance to prove his chops as a detective.

The pair re-ignite their original dynamic; Ben is outrageous, fun loving, and a general annoyance to the hardened, no bull detective. But the comedy of opposites is less pronounced in this one. It’s clear that in the two years since we’ve seen them Ben and James have actually grown close, that a brotherly bond is in fact blossoming. So to add some chaos to the now mundane relationship two new characters are thrown into the midst, Maya (Olivia Munn) and A.J. (Ken Jeong). Clear foils of the brothers-in-law, Maya is a Miami PD homicide detective who is just as hard-nosed and straight laced as James while A.J., a criminal hacker turned informant, is remarkably more obnoxious than Ben. They add some much needed flavour to the “been there done that” comedy.

While the detective element is formulaic, the comedy is there, just in a smaller dose than the first. The film feels a little like trying to make lighting strike the same spot twice. While Ride Along 2 has its moments and is a fun mindless watch, it doesn’t pack the same punch as 2014’s surprise hit. If you’re a fan of the first film, then you’ll probably enjoy the sequel. If you haven’t watched Ride Along, then skip the sequel and rent the first film – it’s the better of the two.

Reviewed by Vithiya Murugadas.