Film
Ride Along 2
- Drug-trade crime
- Action
- Light-hearted
Kevin Hart and Ice Cube reunite for a buddy-cop comedy where a hyperactive civilian tags along on a Miami drug case. It's broad, loud, and energetic—the kind of film that prioritizes laughs and action over believability. For viewers who want to turn their brain off and watch two charismatic leads riff for two hours.
If you liked this
22 Jump Street2014
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have the same chemistry as Hart and Cube—total opposites who somehow work brilliantly together. Equally committed to comedy over credibility, with a self-aware edge.
But The plot is aggressively thin and the humor heavily relies on crude jokes that wear thin if you're not in the mood.

Central Intelligence2016
Another Hart vehicle pairing him with a deadpan action hero (Dwayne Johnson). Finds the sweet spot between action set pieces and character-based comedy, with genuine warmth underneath the chaos.
But Still leans hard on Hart's manic energy; if that brand of comedy exhausts you, this won't change your mind.

Rush Hour1998
The template for this whole subgenre—Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as mismatched cops with wildly different approaches. The action is genuinely inventive and the dynamic feels fresh even now.
But It's almost 30 years old, and some of the humor hasn't aged gracefully by today's standards.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Ride Along 2
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
See Spot Run2001
Both films operate on the principle that pairing a nervous everyman with a taciturn action hero in an absurd scenario is comedy gold, regardless of logic.
David Arquette and Michael Clarke Duncan are a bumbling postal worker and a hardened cop protecting a dog that witnessed a crime. Absolutely ridiculous premise executed with complete commitment, landing somewhere between parody and sincerity that's impossible to dismiss.
But It's a 2001 family film about a dog, which immediately signals low stakes to anyone over fourteen; the tonal whiplash is real.

More like this (7)
Lethal Weapon1987
The granddaddy of buddy-cop action-comedies: Danny Glover and Mel Gibson as partners with irreconcilable personalities. Perfectly balanced—the action is tight, the stakes feel real, and the banter lands.
But Takes itself more seriously than Ride Along 2, which might feel slow if you're after pure comedy momentum.

Bad Boys II2003
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence at peak chemistry, delivering jokes at machine-gun pace between explosions. Michael Bay's excess works in service of the dynamic rather than burying it.
But Nearly two and a half hours of relentless noise and spectacle; some find it exhausting rather than exhilarating.

The Other Guys2010
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as incompetent detectives who somehow stumble into a real case. Smarter than it appears, with Wahlberg playing it deadpan against Ferrell's chaos.
But The plot is genuinely confusing and secondary to the jokes, which might frustrate those wanting a coherent story.

Undercover Brother2002
Eddie Griffin leads an ensemble comedy about a Black secret agent spoofing spy movies. Absurdist, surprisingly clever, and genuinely funny about the tropes it's parodying.
But Relies on specific cultural references and a stylized comedic tone that doesn't connect with everyone.

Tropic Thunder2008
An action-comedy about action-comedies, where a hapless actor (Ben Stiller) gets stuck in real danger. Brilliantly constructed, endlessly quotable, and nails every genre it targets.
But Hinges on shock humor and satirizing method acting; some jokes land differently depending on your patience for that style.

Hot Fuzz2007
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as a London cop and a provincial one uncover conspiracy. Deceptively clever about small-town politics while delivering genuine action and character depth.
But British sensibility and pacing; American audiences sometimes find the setup slow before the payoff arrives.

The Nice Guys2016
Shares the DNA of pairing opposite personalities in an action-comedy framework, but strips away the broad comedy to find something sadder and more human underneath.
Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as a con artist and a private detective solving a murder in 1970s LA. Hilarious, gorgeously filmed, and genuinely moving—a buddy-cop film for people who think they don't like buddy-cop films.
But The plot is deliberately convoluted and secondary to the relationship; if you need a story you can follow beat-by-beat, this will frustrate you.

People
Cast
Kevin HartBen Barber
Ice CubeJames Payton
Olivia MunnMaya
Tika SumpterAngela Payton
Tyrese GibsonMayfield
Nadine VelazquezTasha
Benjamin BrattAntonio Pope
Glen PowellTroy
Sherri ShepherdCori
Utkarsh AmbudkarAmir
Arturo del PuertoAlonso
Directing
- Tim StoryDirector
- Steve GehrkeScript Supervisor
- Jack GillSecond Unit Director
Writing
- Greg CoolidgeCharacters
- Matt ManfrediWriter
- Phil HayWriter
Production
- Felicia FasanoCasting
- Chris BenderExecutive Producer
- J.C. SpinkExecutive Producer
- Nicolas SternExecutive Producer
- Ronald G. MuhammadExecutive Producer
- Scott BernsteinExecutive Producer
- Kathy M. BerryLocation Manager
- Mac GordonLocation Manager
- Ice CubeProducer
- Larry BreznerProducer
- Matt AlvarezProducer
- Will PackerProducer
- Gary TrenthamProduction Coordinator