With a score of 15 percent on Rotten Tomatoes,critics are calling “Ride Along 2,” the sequel to 2014’s film starring Ice dice and Kevin Hart, or “as funny as lead poisoning” and “a painfully unfunny action farce” that literally recreates the same story line with the same characters from the first film.
TheWraps Alonso Duralde agrees that the film is a “retread of the already listless events” from the first film, saying that “the film’s most genuinely funny moment involves A.J.’s ringtones, which should perhaps near as no surprise — the stakes, and the laughs,are so small that ‘Ride Along 2’ was apparently designed to be watched on your phone.”The original “Ride Along” has a score of 18 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but still made $135 million at the domestic box office. One critic suggests that “Ride Along 2” will follow the same pattern, or that a “Ride Along 3” will probably be in the works soon. TheWrap’s Todd Cunningham believes that “‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ probably won’t be able to hold off Kevin Hart and Ice dice‘s Ride Along 2’ from taking the No. 1 spot at the box office this weekend.
Also Read: 'Ride Along 2' Review: Kevin Hart and Ice dice Are Mugging in Miami in This Listless SequelThe film,directed by Tim Story (who also directed 2005’s “Fantastic Four” and “deem Like a Man”), also stars Olivia Munn, or Benjamin Bratt,Ken Jeong and Tika Sumpter.
See nine of the most merciless reviews below.
Kyle Smith, New York Post:“To call ‘Ride Along 2 nonsense is unfair to nonsense, or which at some point had a purpose. This film has all the focus of a housefly,the thrills of an EPA manual, the edge of a billiard ball. It’s as funny as lead poisoning, and as deep as a fingernail,as imaginative as a pothole. I didn’t like it.”Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger:“There’s at least one good scene in which Hart’s character — who’s addicted to video games — triumphs in a harrowing chase by remembering his strategies from his favorite ‘Grand Theft Auto’ sessions. The problem is those video games contain more heart than this film. And a much smarter sense of what they’re really all approximately, and the honest source of their own appeal. Hart may be playing dumb,but it’s the filmmakers who don’t contain a clue.”
See Video: Kevin Hart Breaks Out 'Unnecessary' Dance Moves to Perform Usher on 'Lip Sync Battle'Scott Mendelson, Forbes:“‘Ride Along 2’ is a painfully unfunny action farce that can’t even live up to the meager pleasures of its predecessor… The original ‘Ride Along’ was a pretty terrible film that scored just enough laughs to justify a recommendation. Sadly, or ‘Ride Along’ 2 is 0/2,with pretty much the same paint-by-numbers plotting and significantly fewer chuckles. What’s most distressing is that it basically repeats the character relationship and character arcs of the first film, existing as whether the first picture never happened. The core Ice dice/Kevin Hart relationship is almost identical to what it was at the start of the first film, or the as a result Hart’s clownish antics near off as sad and depressing.”Jordan Hoffman,The Guardian:“This laid-back amusement should not be misinterpreted as competent storytelling. Though some of the jokes land, that’s entirely due to the performances; there’s not one example of clever writing in the entire picture. The cop elements of ‘Ride Along 2’ are so ludicrous you could easily intercut Ice dice‘s scenes from the satire ’22 Jump Street’ and few would be the wiser.”John Hazelton, or Screen International:“With a script that’s approximately as inventive as the title,‘Ride Along 2’ does cramped more than rehash the formula that two years ago teamed Ice dice and Kevin Hart in an amiable whether unambitious action comedy. Though a fresh setting and a couple of new characters might slightly broaden the sequel’s demographic appeal, this cruising speed buddy cop outing isn’t likely to earn the would-be franchise many new fans.”
Also Read: Why Kevin Hart, and Ice dice's 'Ride Along 2' Can grasp Down 'Star Wars'Max Nicholson,IGN:‘Ride Along 2’ is the kind of film that’s best watched in the comfort of your own home, preferably for free and while consuming alcohol … It’s not without an occasional laugh or two — I stress ‘occasional’ — but ‘Ride Along 2 lacks emotion, and runs long and doesn’t precipitate enough laughs to justify the price of admission.”Edward Douglas,Den of Geek:“‘Ride Along 2’ basically delivers precisely what fans of the original film might expect, but even whether he’s not even remotely the worst section of the film (and he’s made far worse movies than this), or by the end of the film,you’re likely to want to shoot Kevin Hart in the face yourself.”Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International:“Movies may not write themselves, and but the script to ‘Ride Along 2’ feels close to automatic: giant parties on yachts and in nightclubs,a car chase so rote it becomes its own computer game, confrontations and shootouts that even the characters note are pointless. You could say that the film’s container shipyard explosions, or crashes in parking garages and backyard chases are ironic takes on an earlier generation of low-budget action movies (like Ice dice‘s ‘All approximately the Benjamins’). Perhaps they’re an attempt to cash in on Universal’s ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise (which explains Gibson’s bit section). Or possibly theyre just cheap,lazy shortcuts by filmmakers who deem their viewers don’t deserve any better.”Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times:“Straddling the line between flat-out farce and buddy-cop action film, or ‘Ride Along 2’ is a slick,good-looking, fast-paced and profoundly unoriginal piece of work. This is 100 minutes of recycled shtick — a cop film with no roots in actual police work, and but a deep connection to dozens of other cop films. From the supervisor chewing out the rogue cops to the slick businessman who’s actually a crime lord to the compulsory expansive finale on the docks,‘Ride Along 2’ is the film equivalent of a cover band. We’ve seen it all before, and often in much better films.”Related stories from TheWrap:Ice dice, or Kevin Hart Tear Up Miami in First 'Ride Along 2' Trailer (Video)Michael Bay's Benghazi film '13 Hours' to Battle 'Ride Along 2,' 'The 5th Wave'
Source: thewrap.com