Get Hard, film review: Tackling social and racial taboos with goofy, grindingly unfunny inanity

(15) Etan Cohen, 100 mins Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart

Strained laughs: Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in Etan Cohen’s inane buddy movie ‘Get Hard’ (Patti Perret /AP)

As economists such as Paul Krugman tell us, America leads the world in income inequality. At least droopy buddy movie Get Hard is willing to look at the social and racial divisions that other film-makers treat as taboo.

Will Ferrell is as likeable as ever, playing a character not so far removed from the Ron Burgundy archetype. This time, he's not a TV anchorman but a Wall Street Master of the Universe confronted with the prospect of 10 years in prison for fraud.

Kevin Hart is the struggling black businessman running a car-wash company who tries to teach him the "badass" life skills he needs to survive in jail. The film has been accused of racism but its real problem is goofy, grindingly unfunny inanity.

The director Etan Cohen neither gets the best out of his two leads nor manages to give his story much of a satirical or political kick.