Watching just a few seconds of the trailer below for new DVD release, Get Hard, will probably tell you the majority of what you need to know about the film, but it does undersell it ever so slightly. You can see straight away that it’s a mid level, silly Will Ferrell film, so if that’s not your thing you’re probably out already, but for everyone else you may be left on the fence overlooking the yard a little, so hopefully our review can help you to separate the boyz from the various hoodz that you’ve got.
The film didn’t pack too much of a punch during its big screen release back in spring 2015, picking up a fair few negative reviews from playa haters along the way, so you may well be one of the many that were put off. However, it’s recent release on digital download, Blu-ray and DVD will have presented you with a second chance at the ultimate dilemma. To watch or not to watch, that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the hearts and minds of thugs to suffer. The caps and asses of outrageous fortune.
The story is mental right from the beginning telling the downfall of wealthy hedge fund manager, James King, who finds himself sentenced to ten years in prison thanks to fraudulent trading activity that he maintains he’s innocent of. With just thirty days until his incarceration in San Quentin maximum security prison he recruits his company’s car wash manager, Darnell Lewis, to teach him how to survive his lengthy stint.
The film puts a lot of effort into throwing out race referenced without too much in the way of focused direction, which works well enough to make it a talking point without being overly high horse or heavy handed. It’s critical, but still uses it for comic effect on a number of occasions. This lands well enough every now and again, and we’re trying not to be too up-tight about what’s essentially a light hearted comedy, but it is a bit flippant and overused as a comedy device.
Ferrell (The Lego Movie) is funny enough as the stuck-up and prejudiced hedge fund manager, but he’s way too outlandish at times, which means it’s a long way away from being one of his better comedies. Kevin Hart puts in a better performance as King’s hardening mentor Darnell, with some good skits, slapstick comedy and the faint hint of improvisation. The massive size difference between 6’3″ Ferrell and 5’4″ Hart adds a little extra humour to everything too.
Get Hard isn’t a good movie by any stretch of the imagination and a lot of the criticism it gets is probably fair, but it was a good laugh every now and again, so if you like Will Ferrell’s back catalogue the answer is yes, it’s probably worth watching. However, it’s not a keeper, so rental is a good shout, instead of adding it to your permanent DVD collection. It’s just a shame it doesn’t live up to the modern day Trading Places potential it has at a fundamental level.
Get Hard DVD review: 2.5/5
