Ride Along 2

After its 2014 predecessor grossed over $150 million, this sequel—reuniting rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube and comedian-turned-actor Kevin Hart as bickering, mismatched cops—was inevitable. Having paid his dues as an Atlanta security guard, manic motormouth Ben Barber (Hart) just graduated from the police academy and is now a rookie (probationary) cop, trying to measure up to his stern, soon-to-be brother-in-law, Det. James Payton (Cube), whose sister Angela (Tika Sumpter) is Ben's fiancée. This time, they're off to Miami to track down a suspiciously slippery South Beach computer hacker, A.J. (Ken Jeong), a quest that leads them to suave millionaire businessman/philanthropist Antonio Pope (Benjamin Bratt), the sinister czar behind a major interstate drug pipeline. Sloppily scripted as yet another recycled buddy-cop comedy, Ride Along 2 is formulaically directed by Tim Story with lots of silly slapstick, explosions, and car chases. Not surprisingly, every woman in the cast—with the exception of the wedding planner, Cori (Sherri Shepherd)—wears sultry, skimpy attire, including a Miami homicide detective, Maya Cruz (Olivia Munn), who arrives at a crime scene clad in tights and a sports bra. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Tim Story, deleted scenes (9 min.), the production featurettes “Kevin and Cube: Brothers in Law” (7 min.) and “Inside Black Hammer Vision” (4 min.), a gag reel (4 min.), a “Ride Along with Us” spoof recruitment video (2 min.), a behind-the-scenes segment (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the behind-the-scenes featurettes “The Ride Diaries” with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube (21 min.), “The Ride Along Roundtable” (16 min.), “The New Recruits” (7 min.), “Ride Along with Kevin Hart” (6 min.), and “Cori's Wedding Commercial” (2 min.), as well as bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing sequel.] (S. Granger)