“Ride Along,” starring the comedian-actor Kevin Hart and the music artist-actor Ice Cube, is a thrill of entertainment. 

For those who have ever seen the movie “Friday,” or have watched a Hart stand-up comedy film such as, “Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain,” then one would come to expect that this movie is one hour and 39 minutes of genuine laughter.

The director, Tim Story, who is best known for his films “Fantastic Four” and “Barbershop,” creates a sentimental and action-based comedy. 

Hart, as Ben Barber, is in a romantic relationship with Angela Payton, portrayed by Tika Sumpter. Barber, willing to take the next step, has to receive permission from Payton’s only brother James Payton, played by Cube.

Cube’s character is an over-protective cop who doesn’t trust anyone except for his sister and he makes sure that she is taken care of and protected at any cost. 

Barber’s motivation to impress her brother is driven by the love that he has for Payton and his determination to move up from a high school security guard to a cop.

He was willing to do whatever it took to have her brother’s blessing because that was the only way that Payton would give her hand in marriage, so he is taken on a ride along with him, hence the title of the movie. 

For those who aren’t aware of what a ride along is, it is where a cop usually takes a rookie who is in the police academy on the calls that they get throughout the day.

Being a fan of the “Barbershop” movies and almost all of the movies that Cube has starred in, it was interesting to see what Story and Cube had in store for viewers since they had history with the film “Barbershop.”

One might believe that with this history in filming it was easy for Story to handle Cube’s character a way that he knew would fit the film. 

Surely the two of them as well as Hart had some interesting behind the scenes.  If you are familiar with Cube’s film “Are We There Yet?,” you can imagine what kind of character he plays in this.

He has the tough-guy, rugged and intimidating facade with an underlying soft side. He plays the perfect role of an over-protective brother with a badge. 

For someone who has never seen a stand-up comedy of Hart, it is recommended to look one up as soon as possible. Not only are his jokes hilarious, but his height and attitude really gives him some character because it’s the easiest way to make a joke about him and he joins in on the self-deprecation. 

It looked as though he was standing on his tippy toes or stepping on a box in some parts of “Ride Along” because Sumpter seems to be at least two inches taller than Hart.

The greatest part about Hart’s role as Barber is that he is an obsessed video-game junkie.  

When in search for some good comedy or a place to go and laugh with some friends, “Ride Along” is a movie worth watching.

Although the film is a bit predictable, like most movies without a sequel are becoming these days, the main point it seemed to achieve was to keep everyone laughing by filming random, embarrassing and not so everyday dramas.