Get Hard Review

I wanted to enjoy Get Hard. I like Will Ferrell; he's been in plenty of good movies. I also like Kevin Hart. I think that he's a good stand-up comedian whose talent unfortunately hasn't yet translated into quality film. When I first heard that he was working with Will Ferrell, I was hopeful that this would be the film that would get people to take him seriously... until I saw the trailer. The movie itself wasn't much better.

Will Ferrell plays a wealthy businessman who, after being promoted, is falsely accused of fraud, and sentenced to prison. He then asks for the help of Kevin Hart, a poor car wash owner. Ferrell pays Hart to prepare him for prison life, unknowing that he has never been to prison.

When the name of the movie is an innuendo, you don't expect subtlety. But much of the humor in this movie is offensive without being funny. Aside from a few moments of lowbrow hilarity, the rest of the movie seemed kind of stupid.

Most of the weight of this failure falls upon Farrell's shoulders. His character is so annoying for most of the movie. The first shot of the movie is a shot of him crying without any context, and it feels out of place. This was probably used to make him look weak so that they could show his transformation, but it really makes him look too weak and kind of dumb. Which is what his character pretty much is. He is not stupid in a charming way like many of his other characters.

The rest of the writing is idiotic. Apparently, Kevin Hart's character believes that the only way to prepare somebody for prison is to force him to pick fights with strangers for no reason, and, at one time, make him give oral sex to a male stranger. There is plenty of dirty, offensive humor, but a lot of it is not that funny. There is a common theme of having them say innuendo, mostly involving the phrase "get hard", to make them look like a gay couple, but it seems to be more offensive than funny. Before Ferrell is arrested, there is some satire of the lives of rich people, but, with some exceptions, it doesn't have the same bite that it wants to have.

Overall, despite a few good parts, Get Hard is a waste of two funny talents. These actors' talent can not save this movie from its juvenile humor and bad writing.

1.5 out of 5 stars