I had seen it far too often...
A high concept storyline that can easily be described in a single paragraph.
Back it by a hefty TV advertising blitz and Hollywood serves up yet another goofy quickie comedy.
So you can imagine that my expectations were pretty well in check when attending an advance screening of GET HARD.
Instead, to my surprise, the new Warner Brothers (not so) buddy-buddy comedy exceeds expectations on several levels—namely writing, acting, pacing and all-around execution.
But first off I feel obligated to forewarn that GET HARD has something to offend everyone.
It is definitely a ‘HARD R’ rated film for both language and sexual depictions.
The story finds hedge fund manager Will Ferrell being promoted to partner in his soon to become father-in-law Craig T. Nelson’s financial firm.
Life is good—UNTIL the FBI swoops in arresting him for having committed fraud.
Is this a set-up, or what?
Whatever it is, Ferrell is sentenced to serve a 10 year stretch in San Quentin. But the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order.
Desperate to find out what to expect behind bars and to prep himself for prison life, Ferrell hires hard-working car wash dude Kevin Hart to show him the ropes.
Why Kevin Hart? Because he’s black and surely is acquainted with prison life.
Hart turns Farrell’s mansion into a cell block of sorts—for educational purposes that is.
But teaching him how to deal with instantly becoming the new bitch inmate—or not—drags the film pretty deeply into the cinematic gutter.
“The gay game is a game you can play.”
At least that’s Kevin Hart’s advice to Ferrell. But teaching those—pardon the pun….”ins and outs” had our preview audience squirming.
So BE PREPARED!
Otherwise you are in for about an hour and forty minutes of fast moving gags as the 30 prep days to incarceration are counted down. Each day being worse than the day before…..
30 days for Will Farrell to GET HARD and in the process discovering how wrong each guy was about the other.
My rating: an Adults-ONLY: B-
(Reviewed at Cinemark, Merriam)
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on 98.1 FM-KMBZ—and anytime on Facebook.
Kevin makes more movies in a year than anyone I have seen in years, maybe 6 or 7 unreal…strike while you can Kev…he first came to KC at Stanfords in the early 2000’s at Westport, three times, nice guy was not on fire yet..but good guy.
I heard that Will was giving head in the movie. Really?