Get Hard

Get Hard was a film I really wasn't expecting to like much, but it was significantly funnier than I expected it to be. Will Ferrell's films have had a tendency to be a bit like Russian Roulette as of late, but this one is fortunately one with no bullet in the chamber. Ferrell plays James, a market trader with (in some people's books) an idyllic life: beautiful house, beautiful fiancée (the boss's daughter) and more money that Trump could shake a stick at.

But the idyll is shattered when he is arrested and then convicted of corruption on a massive scale. Wanting to set a public example , the judge sentences him to the delights of San Quentin and James has 30 days to "Get Hard" before being thrown to the mercy of the inmates. Helping him in the task is Kevin Hart ("Ride Along") who, primarily for reasons of personal financial gain, pretends to be much more 'street' than he really is.

What I enjoyed about this film was the leisurely set up of character and plot before the real comedy (the 'training') kicked in. This is where Ferrell and Hart really work together well, and I thought Hart was excellent in his role. Also good to see Craig T. Nelson ("Poltergeist", "Blades of Glory") back on the big screen as James's boss.

There are few films where I have guffawed out loud so much at certain points: some really good visual slapstick humour. However, the film will be far from everyone's tastes, with some very close to the knuckle jokes. In particular things come to a 'head', as it were, with some mano-a-mano action between Ferrell and Matt Walsh ("VEEP", "Into the Storm"), where the crudometer gets cranked up to "Farrelly". The film is also let down by a weak ending and if there was a joke to be had in the last line of the film, it completely flew over my head.

Recommended for some good belly laughs for the broad minded.

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Laughter is the best medicine & a comedy film essentially does that. And 'Get Hard' is among those winning comedies, that despite its crude humor & language, made me laugh hard! Its a fun watch.

'Get Hard' Synopsis: When millionaire James King is jailed for fraud and bound for San Quentin, he turns to Darnell Lewis to prep him to go behind bars.

'Get Hard' is consistently fun. Jay Martel, Ian Roberts & Etan Cohen's Screenplay, though very crude, is hilarious & the camaraderie between its protagonists, works massively. Though a bit lengthier than it should have been, the Writing is mostly packed with good jokes & sequences. Etan Cohen's Direction is decent. Cinematography is richly done. Editing is slightly iffy.

Performance-Wise: Its good to see both, Will Ferrell & Kevin Hart, at their comedic best. Ferrell is no less than a treasure here as the innocent under scrutiny, while Hart, as his guru, oozes tremendous energy. And as a team, they both work superbly! Among others, the ever-dependable Craig T. Nelson, leaves a mark.

On the whole, 'Get Hard' will make you laugh! Watch It!

Good actors, but the humor didn't really click with me. It was a bit too vulgar and sexual for my taste and also the movie lacks a strong message to deliver to the audience.

Get Hard (2015)

*** (out of 4)

Millionaire James King (Will Ferrell) gets ten years in prison for a crime he didn't commit but he still needs to learn how to survive on the inside so he hires Darnell (Kevin Hart) to teach him how to be hard. James thinks just because Darnell is black that he's been in prison but what he doesn't know is that Darnell is just as chicken as him when it comes to fighting.

GET HARD isn't a complete success but there's no question that the two leads are in good form and there are enough laughs that make this worth sitting through. If you're looking for some sort of masterpiece or high-art comedy then you're not going to find it here. There's nothing clean about this movie as it attacks all races, sexes and genders as it pretty much tries to offend anyone and goes for the most obvious and at times graphic jokes that it can. There was some pre-release controversy about some of the stereotype jokes but I think it's safe to say that everyone is insulted so it's fair game.

I think the best thing going for the film is the chemistry between Ferrell and Hart. Both of them work well off of one another and especially whenever the screenplay lets them down. In all honesty, there's not too much here that we haven't seen in other comedies about prison but the two actors take the material and make it much better than it actually is. One of the highlights in the film is when Ferrell is supposed to go up to some tough guys and start a fight. The terror that Ferrell gets across was just hilarious.

The formula is pretty predictable as is the outcome. With that said, I'd guess that only around sixty percent of the jokes actually work but there are enough big ones to make the film worth viewing.

Which is the title the movie got in Germany (for a change it's not an English title, but in German). Considering the comedy talent at hand, I understand that some might be disappointed in this. But it's still decent enough, even with some mediocre jokes thrown in there from time to time. Not to mention the fact, that this is as predictable as it gets (story wise that is).

Not sure if the jokes about homosexuality work most of the time either, but you have to give/cut them some slack for trying (while not dumbing them down too much). The word play is there (see title), which is played out pretty nicely in one particular scene (turning point sort of). Don't expect too much and you'll be entertained