[Review] Get Hard

After a quick look at Get Hard's trailer, it didn't take much to come to the conclusion that this film was probably going to be terrible. But after seeing it as a whole, I was wrong--it's worse than terrible.

The soundtrack of Iggy Azalea ushers us in, as if there never was going to be any other way, and we meet James (Will Ferrell). He's one of those businessmen who is so filthy rich that he buys ridiculous stuff just because he can. His fiance Alissa is played by Alison Brie, and he only seems to keep her around for the casual smang. On the other side, we have Darnell (Kevin Hart), a working class family man.

During James and Alissa's engagement party (John Mayer is the musical performer, adding to the scuzz factor), James is abruptly arrested for fraud and embezzlement, which gets him a one-year prison sentence. He's terrified to go, so he hires Kevin Hart (for no other reason than him being black, seriously) to prepare him for life in the big house. Yes, this is a genuinely stupid premise.

Get Hard is a comedy that thought it could coast on Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart's star power, but none of it flies. Kevin Hart's character is essentially the same dude from The Wedding Ringer, another one of this year's awful comedies, but that one seems like a masterpiece compared to this one. Actually, no it doesn't. The usually great Alison Brie is dumbed down so much here that you wouldn't be surprised if the writers just listed her character as "THOT" in the screenplay. And sorry, but various shots of Will Ferrell's bare ass just don't do the trick anymore.

Many of the attempts at humor are derived from cheap stereotypes that are simply just unfunny. They don't work in a satirical sense, nor a teachable moment "that's part of the point" way, even given James' ignorant character and eventual clumsy arc. The entire script is cringeworthy and loathsome. The fact that this even made it to the big screen is somewhat embarrassing, and I haven't even mentioned all of the lazy and uncomfortable jokes about prison rape.

No matter what your opinions on Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart are, there's no question that both of them are a lot better than this. Get Hard is in with the worst Hollywood has to offer on the comedy front, and the bar here is mighty low. I know one of you readers are thinking, "But what about Adam Sandler's recent endeavors?" I think it's best for us all to just end this topic right now.

2/10