Kevin Hart has been on
the scene for over a decade now. He started small like everyone else, and
progressed from a stand-up comedian to mainstream movies. Will Ferrell has been
around for even longer, and it seems like he never hits a bad note on the big screen
or in classic episodes of SNL. Though honestly, Kevin Hart’s latest
films have been either hits or misses. It seems like he only plays the same
character (himself), which became quite tiresome. I have started to only look
forward to his stage performances, and bored with his movies feeling he
overwhelms everyone by being too loud, and with the never-ending onslaught of
“hey everyone, look at me because I’m short” jokes. I’m not sure if he got the
memo, but the collaboration of Mr. Hart and Mr. Ferrell in Get Hard was
the necessary boost to regain my interest. It did that, and exceeded my
expectations. It is a comedy that I will remember for a while, and look forward
to watching repeatedly.
While it is obviously
the selling point here, the movie owes its success to the main characters,
James and Darnell (Ferrell, Hart). They’re polar opposites, but come met in a
realistic setting. From this point on, the laughter starts, and simply doesn’t
stop. The only question that needs that needs to be raised is, “Why haven’t
these two comedic greats worked together sooner?”, because they are quite the
hilarious duo. Sometimes you’re laughing so hard you miss the next joke. The
experience of sharing this with an auditorium full of people crying of
excessive laughter is even better. Don’t get me wrong, the movie is as silly as
can be; but the people behind the camera are well aware of this. The tickets
for this movie, therefore, are inexpensive. These two feed off each other as if
they were doing this their whole lives. All the jokes hit you on a multitude of
levels, and sets off its own flare. The innocence of Ferrell’s character is
soothing, while you can sympathize with Hart’s character. It doesn’t show on
the screen too often, but Darnell is just a family man trying to get by. James
presents an opportunity he tries to make the best of, like a random elevator
conversation.
On another note, the
overall story doesn’t match all the comedic beats. It starts with a flash
forward then goes back, which feels a little unnecessary. The montage of
footage that brought James to his demise was condensed and felt forced. It was
a minor misfire, but was still jarring. It ended with a cop-out and a full
flourish. On multiple occasions, I noticed that a film containing guns was a realistic
scenario, but was overlooked believing that the film didn’t want to take any
responsibilities. James was the showrunner with this towards the conclusion,
and all I could do was roll my eyes.
Not wanting to get too
technical on a comedy, I must still say the first twenty minutes or so felt
like the film was edited by an amateur. It was very frustrating to laugh so
hard at a scene, and then be clocked out because a number of cast members’ heads
were cut off. This is a mistake not common in small films, but the ball was
clearly dropped here. Earlier I spoke about the great comedy, and it was
apparent throughout. Though all jokes didn’t knock it out of the park, and some
lasted a bit too long, they were still great in the beginning of the movie. I’m
not sure what the film was going for with the racist jokes, but the depiction
of the white Nazi gang, and blacks in the ‘hood was the worst part of the film.
Not only was it over the top with stereotypes, but the attempt at acting was
also embarrassing. This could’ve been handled much better, but it was treated
as an afterthought.
Overall, if you’re a fan
of these two actors, you won’t be disappointed. I can’t remember the last time
I laughed so hard with a comedic duo. Both Ferrell and Hart take what they’re
best at, and lay it all on the screen. Yes, the ending of the story felt bland
and abrupt. Some jokes lasted too long, while others felt choppy in a few brief
moments. Though I can honestly say I laughed every 10 seconds for at least 40
minutes straight. It’s entertaining enough to warrant a sequel. They both knew
their place, and if something was polished to the highest degree it’s clear
that it wasn’t their fault. This won’t be a contemporary classic, like The
Hangover or Bridesmaids, but it is still a comedy to
recommend to your friends circle.
