Silly, Funny “Ride Along 2”

By Skip Sheffield

Silly, silly, silly but funny, funny, funny; that’s the word on “Ride Along 2.”

This sequel continues the adventures of taciturn Atlanta cop James Payton (Ice Cube) and excitable rookie Ben Barber (Kevin Hart).

Kevin Hart is the 5-foot-4 fireplug heart of this caper, which starts in Atlanta but is mostly set in Miami and Miami Beach.

Ben is engaged to be married to gorgeous Angela Payton (Tika Sumpter), James Payton’s little sister. But more than anything Ben wants to be a full-fledged cop. When James Payton gets an assignment from his boss Lt. Brooks (Bruce McGill) to ferret out some wrongdoing in Miami, Ben begs to come along. Reluctantly, James agrees.

So begins a caper written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who were involved in the first “Ride Along” in 2014. It is directed by Tim Story, who directed the original.

Plot is the least important aspect of a caper flick like this. There is a bad guy, mobster Antonio Pope played by an emaciated-looking Benjamin Bratt, and a tough Miami lady cop Maya, played by Olivia Munn. Apart from the antics of Kevin Hart, the most important element is the gorgeous Miami area locations. Sometimes we forget what fabulous places Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay are. This silly movie reaffirms the fact we live in a paradise that most can only dream about.

This movie is aimed squarely at the African-American audience. I am not one of the demographics, but funny is funny regardless of race, color or creed. This is a funny movie with lots of eye-candy treats.

Two and a half stars