Ride Along 2

First Hit:  Not much of a film and felt forced in all ways.

The upside was seeing Olivia Munn although I sensed she knew this was a stinker of a film.

This retread of a film came off as a throwaway. Kevin Hart as a newly minted, on probation, police officer Ben Barber who is engaged to Angela Payton (Tika Sumpter) that happens to be Detective and fellow officer James Payton’s (Ice Cube) sister.

James doesn’t think much of Barber’s unqualified police and detective skills. Barber doesn’t help his case much because he’s always talking. He is incessantly chattering away about something or nothing.

Not sure if the script had it this way or they just let him loose but it was tiring. With all the noise he was creating it was extremely difficult to hear any good stuff that would make the film funny.

Together Barber and James are off to find a guy who is a drug supplier to a dealer they tried to bust. The investigation takes them to Miami where they meet Munn (as Maya) a detective with the Miami Police Department.

The villain is Antonio Pope (Benjamin Bratt) who is half wise guy and half stupid. His scripted toughness lacked an intelligent storyline for his obvious success.

Therefore, we end up with a stupid insipid story bouncing along hoping that Hart’s jokes and banter will make this film interesting or funny; it was neither.

Hart’s role was one of constant needless jabber. It was almost as if the director and producers hoped he'd talk so much that it would make this film funny or interesting. It didn't. Hart needs to take on roles that have some depth and story behind them and use his quick wordiness more sparingly. In other words quit throwing shit on the wall hoping some sticks. Ice Cube:  I’m always so surprised that I see him in something like this. This was the guy who came Straight Outta Compton? Really, you’re doing mindless drivel like this. Where did your soul go? Sumpter is OK as the engaged girlfriend of Barber’s. She barely rose above the level of the film. Munn was fun to see and she did her best to keep the role focused and on target. The scriptwriters and director let her down. Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi wrote this stupid script that had little direction or focus. As director, Tim Story, never told one.

Overall:  This film was really a follow-up to the first one and showed NO originality or reason for existing.

Magic Mike

First Hit:  The girls in the audience (both in the film and in my theater) really enjoyed these well sculpted males.

This story was somewhat unique in that male exotic dancers are rarely the subject of a film.

Mike (played by Channing Tatum) is “an entrepreneur”. He is a roofer, he does odd jobs, he’s a male exotic dancer, and his love is furniture making. He does everything well and he cares. As a dancer he is phenomenal. His moves are like “magic”.

He works in a club owned by Dallas (played by Matthew McConaughey). Dallas is in-charge and it is evident. He’s also great at making his dancers feel good about working in his club while he enriches himself. He’s got a dark side but it is rarely evident.

Adam (played by Alex Pettyfer) is a lazy lost young man who won’t wear a tie for a job, but really finds something wrong with every job he thinks about. He lives with his sister Brooke (played by Cody Horn) who has a steady job in medical insurance and is very protective of her younger brother. One day Mike takes Adam to Dallas’ club. He’s thrown on stage and lo-and-behold, he has found something he can do and he makes money – easy cash.

Brooke asks Mike to take care of her young brother although she disapproves of Adam and Mike’s chosen field of work. Mike has an occasional, on-call girlfriend named Joanna (played by Olivia Munn) who does three-ways with him, is a psychologist, and is very seductive. She appears in the film in an on-call basis until her truth becomes known to Mike.

The film isn’t about the dancing, which is some cases extraordinary, it is about growing up and living one’s truth.

Tatum is strong and wonderful in his portrayal of a man who really wants to find a different life, but shows enough internal roadblocks to make mistakes in judgment. McConaughey is perfect as the somewhat sleazy male dancer night club owner. Pettyfer is good as the lost young man but there isn’t enough understanding as to why he’s so dead set against doing various jobs (where was his pain?). Munn is very good as a woman who lives two lives and likes to play with Mike. Horn is a revelation. I really liked her look and feel as her character. She felt real in her role. Reid Carolin wrote a very strong script. Steven Soderbergh delivered yet another excellent film. The direction was clear, strong, and crisp – no wasted scenes.

Overall: This was a very entertaining film as the girls in the audience vocally reminded me.