Ride Along, film review: Strictly formulaic fare but it elicits a few laughs along the way

(12A) Tim Story, 100 mins Starring: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Laurence Fishburne

As buddy movies go, this is strictly formulaic fare but it elicits a few laughs along the way thanks to the relentless goofing of Kevin Hart, the diminutive, motor-mouthed actor-comedian also recently seen in the Stallone/De Niro vehicle Grudge Match.

Hart plays a hapless, video game-obsessed security guard with dreams of becoming a cop. He is desperate to impress his girlfriend's brother, the hard-bitten, loner cop Ice Cube.

A hugely derivative screenplay mashes up elements from Training Day, Rush Hour, 48 Hrs, Midnight Run and all the other films bringing sworn enemies together in a car. Hart's energy and flair for slapstick at least stop Ride Along from ever quite stalling completely.