Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Craig T. Nelson
Directed by: Etan Cohen
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 40
Warner Brothers
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
James King (Ferrell) has it all. Money. A beautiful fiancé (Alison Brie). And he’s just been made a partner in the investment firm started and run by his father-in-law (Nelson). He spares nothing on the finer things, including having his car detailed by Darnell Lewis (Hart), a man with a family hoping to buy a home. Out of the blue, James is arrested for fraud. Encouraged by his boss to take a plea bargain James refuses, so insistent is he of his innocence. Sadly, he is not believed and the judge, looking send a message to white collar criminals, sentences him to 10 years hard labor. With 30 days to get his affairs in order, James decides he needs to learn how to survive prison and decides to get advice from the only black man he knows.
Outrageously funny, though often bordering on bad taste, “Get Hard” confirms the star-making talent shown by Kevin Hart in “The Wedding Ringer” as well as the consistently funny-film streak of Will Ferrell. Both are at the top of their game here, and their chemistry is quite obvious. While both men are constantly entertaining, it’s Hart that drives the film, with Ferrell acting as straight man a little more than usual. Encouraged to tell James his story, Darnell instead gives a one-man performance of “Boys in the Hood.” This scene, and one where Hart plays three different inmates, are among the best in the film.
The script, co-written by director Cohen and Jay Martell and Ian Roberts, is constantly funny, even when it approaches the lines of race and prejudicial assumptions. Yet in spite of the humor, there are some nice moments between Ferrell and Hart as well as Hart and his on-screen family. If you’re looking to laugh this weekend, this is the film to see!
