The Brothers-in-Law are back for an all-new action-packed comedic adventure. Ride Along 2 picks up some time after the events of the first film. Ben Barber (Kevin Hart) is one month out of the police academy and now a rookie cop at the Atlanta PD where future brother-in-law Detective James Payton (Ice Cube) works in Vice. James gets a break in his case that points to Miami, and while his Lieutenant (Bruce McGill) tells him he can pick a team to join him, James decides he would rather go it alone than deal with Ben’s antics again. However, Ben’s wedding is coming up in a week, and he’s been acting like a groomzilla to wedding planner Cori (Sherri Shepherd) and so his fiancée Angela (Tika Sumpter) asks her brother to take Ben away for a few days. She also reminds him that he still hasn’t chosen a plus one for the wedding reception.

In Miami, the guys search for computer hacker AJ (Ken Jeong), who can decrypt a flash drive containing valuable information for James’ case, but AJ is on the run after embezzling money from his employer, local philanthropist Antonio Pope (Benjamin Bratt). The guys team up with local police detective Maya (Olivia Munn), whose case regarding the murder of the Port Commissioner might be related to theirs. Can Ben prove he’s got what it takes to be a detective, or will he get himself killed—or will James kill him—first?
 

Ride Along 2 is a really fun watch that had me laughing out loud several times. I had never seen the original film, so I checked that out first before watching this sequel for review, and I would say I liked the second one even more than the first. While I don’t think one needs to have seen the first movie to enjoy this one, I think it would add more to the experience for those who have. The filmmakers have brought back a lot of the elements that made the first film so fun, and added some great new cast members.

The chemistry between Ice Cube’s stoic, no-nonsense James and Kevin Hart’s talkative and crazy Ben is excellent. The two play off one another really well and build on the characters and relationship they established in the first film, while also letting the characters grow a bit—like James finally warming up to Ben, though not enough to bring an end to the comedic insults and frustration between the pair. (There are still plenty of barbs about Ben’s height.) Also back is Ben’s obsession with video games, and this plays a big role later on in a very creative way during a high speed chase scene. There are also some other references to the first film with certain comedic events repeating themselves, as well as some other fun nods to popular films like The Fast and The Furious and Apocalypse Now.

This second film takes the action to Miami, and so the colors are a lot brighter and more vidid—especially the cars and Ben’s wardrobe. Miami also brings a trio of new characters including hacker AJ, who defies the typical nerdy stereotype by also being quite the ladies man. Ken Jeong is quite funny in this role, especially when his character toys with Ben and James. And Olivia Munn also shines as Maya, who’s basically the female version of James, a no-nonsense cop who takes her job seriously. However, Munn also delivers on the comedy. There is one hilarious scene when the four characters are on a stakeout and Ben and AJ are in the backseat repeatedly calling out James and Maya’s names respectively, like children anxiously trying to get their parents’ attention. And finally, Benjamin Bratt makes a great addition to the cast as the charming but deadly new villain. While Pope is serious when dealing with those who cross him, there’s this underlying element of humor that makes him so much fun to watch.

Overall, film’s writing is quite funny, with Kevin Hart’s fast-talking rants and wild proclamations, Ice Cube’s constantly-annoyed reactions, Ken Jeong’s one-liners, the really fun scenes with Sherri Shepherd and more. However, there’s also a lot of hilarious physical humor, primarily by Kevin Hart. Whether he’s botching a backup plan, involved in a disastrous foot chase through backyards, pretending to be a foreign dignitary, or trying to escape an animal attack, these scenes are always so much fun to watch. And while this film is first and foremost a comedy, it also has some spectacular action sequences as well, including several car chases, fights and shootouts.

As for the Blu-ray presentation, the picture quality looks excellent. It successfully captures the vivid colors of Miami beautifully, nighttime and daytime scenes both look crisp and clean, and every detail of the fast-moving action sequences look fantastic. The audio track provides clear dialog and a booming soundtrack. I primarily noticed the use of the surround channel during car chase scenes when I could hear the whoosh of the traffic behind me.

Universal has once again provided a really nice collection of bonus material for this Blu-ray release, including a digital copy of the film, an audio commentary by the director, 6 deleted scenes, 2 fake commercials plus a behind-the-scenes for one of them, a gag reel, and almost and hour of interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

What’s Included:
Film: (1:41:30)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 2.0, Spanish DTS Digital Surround 5.1, French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

• 480p / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital Copy (For Redemption Deadline See NBCUCodes.com):

• UltraViolet Digital HD Copy (Universal, Flixster, Vudu or CinemaNow) OR iTunes Digital HD Copy

Extras:
* Some features are only available on the Blu-ray and are not on the DVD disc

• Deleted Scenes (8:40)
  A collection of 6 deleted/extended scenes, where are a lot of fun, though it’s easy to see why most of these were cut as the material is already covered in other scenes. Play All or select from “Ben Tries To Sneak By Angela”, “My Neck Donut”, “Enter The Club”, “The Impound Lot”, “Your Drunk Husband” and “Extended Bar Scene”.
• Ride Along With Us (1:48)
  Ben & James star in this Atlanta Police Department recruitment video featuring clips from the film.
• Gag Reel (3:47)
  The usual gag reel fare with the cast cracking up during takes, forgetting lines, dealing with distractions and just having fun on set.
• Behind the Scenes of Ride Along With Us (1:24)
  Go behind the scenes of the “Ride Along With Us” recruitment video as Ben and James riff back and forth in front of a green screen.
• The Ride Along Roundtable* (15:52)
  Producer Will Packer, director Tim Story and stars Kevin Hart (“Ben Barber”) and Ice Cube (“James Payton”/Producer) sit down for a fun discussion about making the film and what it was like working with one another.
• The Ride Diaries* (20:28)
  This seven-part behind-the-scenes featurette takes you on-set and behind-the-scenes with the cast and filmmakers from the moment the cameras start to roll in July 2014 through the final wrap two months later. Each segment focuses on one of the film’s big scenes. Play All or select from “The First Days”, “The Tribute”, “The Bachelor Party”, “The Opening Sting”, “The Alligator Scene”, “The Wedding Day” and “The Final Showdown”. Those interviewed include first assistant director Milos Milicevic, makeup department head Debra Denson, producer Will Packer, director Tim Story, production designer Chris Cornwell, stunt coordinator Jack Gill, executive producer Nicholas Stern, dolly grip James Tripp Pair, visual effect supervisors Scott M. Davids and Björn Mayer, and actors Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Michael Rose (“The Hitter/Gates”), Tyrese Gibson (“Mayfield”), Ken Jeong (“AJ”), Yolanda Adams (“Preacher”), Tika Sumpter (“Angela Payton”), Bruce McGill (“Lt. Brooks”), Sherri Shepherd (“Cori”), Benjamin Bratt (“Antonio Pope”) and Olivia Munn (“Maya”).
• Kevin & Cube: Brothers-In-Law (6:52)
  Go behind-the-scenes with producer Will Packer, director Tim Story and stars Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Ken Jeong and Olivia Munn as they talk about the great chemistry between the actors and what it was like returning to the set.
• The New Recruits* (6:21)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the additions to the cast for the sequel. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with producer Will Packer, director Tim Story and actors Olivia Munn, Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Ken Jeong and Benjamin Bratt.
• Inside Black Hammer Vision (3:24)
  Director Tim Story talks about how the destructive high speed gamer car chase scene came about and how it was brought to life.
• Ride Along With Kevin Hart* (5:26)
  A collection of behind the scenes footage of Kevin Hart on set dancing, practicing his lines, talking about food, mimicking his co-star and director, showing how to throw a proper hissy fit, dropping his pants, and just generally running his mouth and having fun.
• Cori’s Wedding Commercial* (1:36)
  A fun ad for professional wedding planner Cori’s business.
• Feature Commentary with Director Tim Story (1:41:30)
  The director of the film provides an entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film. He starts off talking about moving the film to Miami and defining and casting the new characters. He gives lots of insight into the story and plot while also providing behind-the-scenes and production tidbits throughout the film.

Final Thoughts:

Ride Along 2 is even more fun than the original. Ice Cube and Kevin Hart have such great chemistry and their comedic timing is perfect. The film is a great blend of action, fun dialogue and hilarious physical comedy. The sequel also introduces some great new characters, played by Ken Jeong, Olivia Munn and Benjamin Bratt. The Blu-ray presentation looks and sounds great, and also contains a solid selection of bonus material. Fans of the original film will not be disappointed as it’s more of the same, and new viewers should quickly fall in love with this comedic duo. This is an easy recommendation.