When it comes to buddy cop movies we all know what clichés to expect; from that horrific “WOOP WOOP that’s the sound of the police!” song, to the all too obvious plot twist, we rarely see something new. While Ride Along does feature two strong performances, and great chemistry between Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, it fails to add anything memorable to the buddy cop canon.

 
Hart stars as Ben a high school security guard who has just been accepted to the police academy. Ben believes his recent acceptance will finally give his girlfriend’s cop brother, James, a reason to give him his blessing in proposing to his sister (A Madea Christmas’ Tika Sumpter). James, who has hated Ben since he accidentally set him on fire, says that he will give his blessing if Ben will join him on a ride along. Honored, Ben eagerly accepts the challenge, but he cannot begin to imagine the day his potential brother-in-law has in store for him.

Viewers will get a pretty good idea of what the next 90 minutes will entail right from the film’s laughably edited, completely unrealistic, opening car chase. It is obvious that the remainder of the film will be just as mindless, which may work for some, but many may find it extremely tedious.

The film’s saving grace comes in the form of its leads Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. The two share impeccable chemistry and work quite well off each other comically. When not sharing the screen, however, the two provide the performances we have come to expect from them. Cube, as the tough guy who never dares to crack a smile, and Hart, as the obnoxious, overconfident go-getter. While Hart’s shtick usually gets old fast as in last year’s Grudge Match, it actually seems to work quite well in Ride Along, and adds some great scenes to an otherwise very mediocre film.

Director Tim Story’s track record is pretty solid, including films such as Barbershop and the 2012 hit Think Like A Man, so those coming in with high expectations will certainly be disappointed. Then again, I’m sure anyone who has even just seen the poster of the film will know exactly what they’re in for.

[star v=25]