Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
When millionaire hedge fund manager James is convicted of fraud and sentenced to a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him one month to get his affairs in order. Knowing that he won't survive more than a few minutes in prison on his own, James desperately turns to Darnell-- a black businessman who's never even had a parking ticket -- for help. As Darnell puts James through the wringer, both learn that they were wrong about many things, including each other.
Get Hard is a broadly conventional buddy comedy that leans heavily on racial stereotype humor and a predictable fish-out-of-water premise. The plot follows a well-worn template with few surprises, and while Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart have some comedic chemistry, the material rarely challenges either performer. Cinematography is functional and unremarkable. The film offers little that feels distinctive or fresh—its comedy is largely derived from well-trodden racial and class disparity gags rather than any novel conception. The ending wraps up tidily but without particular satisfaction or wit. It's a serviceable but thoroughly average studio comedy that doesn't excel in any single dimension.