Are you looking for a fun comedy movie that will give you a good giggle? If so, you may be wondering if Get Hard is worth a watch. Find out whether this film is a hit or a miss.
Get Hard is a 2015 comedy film starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, two well-known names in this arena.
In terms of the film’s premise, Ferrell plays James King, an affluent bank manager who is wrongly accused of embezzlement and fraud.
To prepare for prison, King enlists the help of Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart), who works as a car wash attendant.
Alongside Ferrell and Hart, Get Hard stars Craig T. Nelson, Edwina Findley, Alison Brie, and Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris. The film was directed by directorial newcomer Etan Cohen, who also co-wrote it.
Let’s get onto the review!
Our Review
The Good
When it comes to Get Hard, we have very few positive things to say. Here and there the film delivers an occasional laugh.
This is mainly thanks to Ferrell, who continues to be a gifted comedic presence even when working with poor material. Likewise, Hart also proves to be an entertaining watch.
The film is particularly skilled when it comes to dark humor, with some x-rated gags that are sure to land with some.
There is also some comedy in watching Ferrell’s King attempt to play a hardened criminal despite being extremely rich and entitled.
Unfortunately, this gag is essentially the entire plot of the movie and it barely develops beyond this.
The Bad
Now, onto the bad and boy is there a lot to say here!
The comedic talents of Ferrell and Hart are entirely wasted by this underwhelming movie. The two actors are forced to read through an insulting and often unfunny script.
It feels as though both actors should have known better than to sign up for this disappointing film.
Not to mention, the rest of the star-studded cast is completely wasted. Alison Brie, known for her amazing roles in Community, GLOW, and Mad Men, is criminally underutilized here.
Star of Coach and The Incredibles, Craig T. Nelson also is barely given any screen time or an interesting role.
Get Hard limps to a disappointing conclusion, whereby the identity of the people who framed King are revealed. Unfortunately, one could see this twist coming from a mile away.
The final part of the film feels like it’s lost all its energy, resulting in a conclusion that’s filled with obvious double entendre and puns.
Additionally, Get Hard comes across as a potentially interesting idea that just wasn’t well thought out.
The jokes just feel so clumsy and uninspired. So unless you enjoy a plethora of penis puns, you are unlikely to find this premise or the jokes funny.
This film is an unpleasant mixture of racism and homophobia. It relies on Ferrell’s character experiencing gay panic when facing the prospect of prison.
This appears to be the only reason why King does not want to end up in prison.
Instead of showing how idiotic this gay fear is, the film only legitimizes it, thus forging a movie with strong homophobic undertones.
One also cannot overlook the casual racism of the movie. Hart feels like a stereotype rather than a fleshed-out and nuanced character.
Ferrell turns to Hart’s Darnell for help with navigating prison, incorrectly assuming that he has experience with this merely because he is a black man.
This would have been a great opportunity to examine the racial assumptions that white people have toward the black community, which could have made for an interesting film.
Unfortunately, the lazy script writing instead feels like it reinforces this racism instead of critiquing it. As a result, these scenes just feel extremely dated.
Should You Watch Get Hard?
In our opinion, you should avoid Get Hard like the plague.
If you are looking for a comedy film starring Ferrell or Hart, you should opt for Elf, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, or Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Unless you enjoy uncomfortable and often unfunny comedies, Get Hard is not for you. This film is far from family-friendly, containing plenty of r-rated jokes and scenes.
So unless you are a die-hard fan of Hart or Ferrell, we strongly suggest skipping this movie.
If you crave a mindless laugh that you don’t have to pay much attention to, you may enjoy Get Hard. Otherwise, you will likely find yourself cringing for the entirety of this awful movie.
Final Thoughts
Despite starring two comedy greats in the form of Ferrell and art, Get Hard is a trainwreck. It’s astonishing how this film manages to be completely devoid of humor.
So unless you like enduring painful experiences, we recommend that you give this movie a miss.
We give Get Hard 1 out of 5 stars.
If you liked this article, you might enjoy our post on ‘Taken 2 Movie Review‘.
I’d like to think I know a lot about films - at least that’s what my peers tell me after I’m done boring them to tears with my knowledge surrounding any movie that comes into the conversation!
I think the people in my life are getting a little bored of my teachings, so now I bring them to you - to hopefully find people who will get as excited as I do when talking about films. Please enjoy my reviews and commentaries, and feel free to jump in at any point and discuss.
- Best Movie Theater Rewards Programs in 2023 - July 23, 2023
- What is the Average Movie Theater Screen Size? - June 25, 2023
- 8 Movies Like The Social Network - June 25, 2023
