With The Heat scoring the top spot at the box office this past weekend, driven by the comedic power of Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, people seem to be in the mood for buddy cop films, which could very well explain why today we are getting the very first trailer for the new comedy Ride Along (via the film's official YouTube channel).
Directed by Tim Story, who scored a big hit last year with his adaptation of Steve Harvey's Think Like A Man, the film stars Hart as a school security guard named Ben who has fallen deeply in love with his girlfriend (Tika Sumpter). He wants to ask for her hand in marriage, but instead of seeking her father's approval, he instead needs to reach out to her brother James (Ice Cube), a hardcore police officer who isn't a big fan our protagonist. When Ben tells his potential future brother-in-law that he is going to be joining the police force, James sees it as opportunity to test the young man's mettle by taking him on a ride along. But what starts out as a normal night quickly dissolves into chaos as James takes Ben through a night of hell.
The trailer has some funny moments and there's some potentially interesting chemistry brewing between Hart and Ice Cube, the whole thing is disappointingly dragged down with generic jokes that we've seen 10,000 times before. How is it that filmmakers still think that the the bait-and-switch practice proposal is still a fresh and funny idea? It doesn't matter if it's a lunch lady, a mirror, or the protagonist's best friend - it's a gag that has been done to death. It's also worth noting that it looks like Ice Cube is playing the exact same character he played in last year's 21 Jump Street, but honestly he was so great in that movie that it's kind of hard to hold it against him.
We still have a long time to wait until we actually get to see Ride Along for ourselves, as the movie won't actually be out until next year, but apparently Universal sees big potential in the film as the kickstarter of a franchise. Back in April the studio hired screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi to start getting to work on Ride Along 2 - which could get the immediate greenlight if the first one is a success. How much do you want to bet that the first movie ends with Ben and James actually becoming partners, as Hart suggests in the trailer?
Those of you who need a Kevin Hart fix before Ride Along comes out in January, however, will be happy to know that the comedian will soon be seen on the big screen in his very own theatrically-released comedy special. Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, which was co-directed by Story and Leslie Small, will be in theaters this week, and you can watch the trailer for the movie below.
