Get Hard (2015) Poster

(2015)

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7/10
Funnier than expected
bob-the-movie-man7 July 2015
Get Hard was a film I really wasn't expecting to like much, but it was significantly funnier than I expected it to be. Will Ferrell's films have had a tendency to be a bit like Russian Roulette as of late, but this one is fortunately one with no bullet in the chamber. Ferrell plays James, a market trader with (in some people's books) an idyllic life: beautiful house, beautiful fiancée (the boss's daughter) and more money that Trump could shake a stick at.

But the idyll is shattered when he is arrested and then convicted of corruption on a massive scale. Wanting to set a public example , the judge sentences him to the delights of San Quentin and James has 30 days to "Get Hard" before being thrown to the mercy of the inmates. Helping him in the task is Kevin Hart ("Ride Along") who, primarily for reasons of personal financial gain, pretends to be much more 'street' than he really is.

What I enjoyed about this film was the leisurely set up of character and plot before the real comedy (the 'training') kicked in. This is where Ferrell and Hart really work together well, and I thought Hart was excellent in his role. Also good to see Craig T. Nelson ("Poltergeist", "Blades of Glory") back on the big screen as James's boss.

There are few films where I have guffawed out loud so much at certain points: some really good visual slapstick humour. However, the film will be far from everyone's tastes, with some very close to the knuckle jokes. In particular things come to a 'head', as it were, with some mano-a-mano action between Ferrell and Matt Walsh ("VEEP", "Into the Storm"), where the crudometer gets cranked up to "Farrelly". The film is also let down by a weak ending and if there was a joke to be had in the last line of the film, it completely flew over my head.

Recommended for some good belly laughs for the broad minded.

(If you enjoyed this review please see the graphical version at bob-the-movie-man.com and enter your email address to get future reviews. Thanks).
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5/10
Funny moments but disappointing from this comedy duo
stephendaxter10 June 2015
Get Hard is a comedy starring two of the funniest actors out there today, and having this duo of Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell you would think would make for an extremely funny movie, unfortunately it doesn't but it still had its fair share of good laughs. They had pretty good chemistry and most if not all of the good funny moments came from the interactions between the two of them. They played off the racial stereotypes for pretty much the entire film and as the film went on it got less funny and repetitive. The good moments of the film in terms of the comedy came in the middle of the film, thats where you have everyone introduced and the build up is over but you are also not yet exhausted by the repetitive jokes. In terms of their performances, there is nothing new here, it feels like they were both playing similar characters that they have played many times before in their previous films. But the characters did fit very well into the plot.

The plot of the film was a little predictable, but at the same time i wasn't bored of following the plot. It didn't feel like certain plot points happened in order to get a few quick jokes in, everything flowed pretty well and i was still interested in seeing what was going to happen next. There is not much else i can say about this film, there is nothing new to see here from Will or Kevin, but the film does provide with some good jokes and an interesting plot that can get you through the film fairly entertained. So i guess if you are a fan of either member of this comedy duo then you will enjoy seeing them together in this film. - 5/10
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6/10
Prison Coach
kosmasp4 October 2015
Which is the title the movie got in Germany (for a change it's not an English title, but in German). Considering the comedy talent at hand, I understand that some might be disappointed in this. But it's still decent enough, even with some mediocre jokes thrown in there from time to time. Not to mention the fact, that this is as predictable as it gets (story wise that is).

Not sure if the jokes about homosexuality work most of the time either, but you have to give/cut them some slack for trying (while not dumbing them down too much). The word play is there (see title), which is played out pretty nicely in one particular scene (turning point sort of). Don't expect too much and you'll be entertained
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6/10
Some aspects of it feel forced and unnecessary, but it still managed to register some big laughs with me
jimbo-53-18651112 June 2016
James King (Will Ferrell) is a wealthy stockbroker with a seemingly perfect and enviable lifestyle (big house, hot girlfriend etc). However, things come to a head when evidence is found to show that King has committed acts of fraud and embezzlement. In order to make an example out of him and to show that 'rich people' won't get an easy ride, the judge sentences King to the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison at San Quentin which is one of America's toughest prisons. King isn't prepared for life in prison and based on a conversation that he has with Darnell (Kevin Hart) he makes the assumption that Darnell has been to prison before and King offers to pay Darnell $30,000 dollars to toughen up ready for prison life which King will be facing in the next 30 days. Being hugely in debt and for his family's sake, Darnell agrees to prepare King for life in prison (even though he's never been in prison in his life!!!).

Both Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart have both been hit and miss actor's in my book and therefore I approached this film with some caution and actually feared the worst. However, after watching it I thought it was much better than I expected it to be - although it isn't without it's fair share of problems....

The storyline is fairly generic and there's definitely a whiff of Trading Places about it (it only really steals one aspect from that film rather than feeling like a 'rip-off' of that film). If you're expecting to see much originality in the material then you're going to be a little disappointed - quite a bit of the material is recycled prison clichés and much of this is witnessed when Darnell puts King through his toughening up boot-camp.

Despite some of these problems there were some parts of the film that got some big laughs from me; I couldn't help but laugh at the scenes where King tries to pick fights with people at the park (with one scene where he picks on an old man and gets his ass kicked). I also loved the part where Martin (Craig T Nelson) is talking about how he built his successful business with just a computer, hard work and an $8,000,000 loan from his dad - it doesn't sound that funny when it's put in writing, but the way Nelson delivers the gag does make it funny. It's stuff like this that helps to take the edge of the cruder stuff that is witnessed at other moments in the film.

Another strength with this film lies with the performances of Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. The former is actually very good at acting as a 'whiny' jerk (perhaps too good), but in a film like Get Hard this style of acting works to his advantage and it really is hard not to laugh at some of the things that he says and does here. Hart is not someone who I've been too kind to in the past, but I think that I've never really seen him in a role that I've felt that he can put his own stamp on (until now). In some ways I thought that Hart steals the show here and in some ways seeing a much smaller figure like Hart being physically dominant over someone as large as Ferrell somehow made the scenario funnier to me. Both these actors share brilliant chemistry together and in some ways their physical humour and terrific performances overcome the fairly weak story.

I've been generally positive with this film so far but I think it's important to draw your attention to some weaknesses with the film. Whilst it clearly relies on race issues to carry it in the early stages it always feels palatable (a basic misunderstanding based on 'race' is what lead to King making his assumption). This, for me, was tolerable in order to set the story up, but later in the film it starts to go off the rails a little bit by providing us with some forced and unnecessary moments (I felt that the scenes with The Crenshaws and The Alliances Of Whites) were a little too much and I don't feel that they were particularly necessary. It's also predictable and isn't funny often enough for me to be able to shout its praise from the rooftops.

With all that being said though, some of the material is funny, Ferrell and Hart are both excellent here and the chemistry between the two men is first-rate. It's not brilliant, but on the same note it was funny enough for me.
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7/10
I Laughed Hard!
namashi_12 May 2015
Laughter is the best medicine & a comedy film essentially does that. And 'Get Hard' is among those winning comedies, that despite its crude humor & language, made me laugh hard! Its a fun watch.

'Get Hard' Synopsis: When millionaire James King is jailed for fraud and bound for San Quentin, he turns to Darnell Lewis to prep him to go behind bars.

'Get Hard' is consistently fun. Jay Martel, Ian Roberts & Etan Cohen's Screenplay, though very crude, is hilarious & the camaraderie between its protagonists, works massively. Though a bit lengthier than it should have been, the Writing is mostly packed with good jokes & sequences. Etan Cohen's Direction is decent. Cinematography is richly done. Editing is slightly iffy.

Performance-Wise: Its good to see both, Will Ferrell & Kevin Hart, at their comedic best. Ferrell is no less than a treasure here as the innocent under scrutiny, while Hart, as his guru, oozes tremendous energy. And as a team, they both work superbly! Among others, the ever-dependable Craig T. Nelson, leaves a mark.

On the whole, 'Get Hard' will make you laugh! Watch It!
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7/10
Good comedy for a fun evening, but for the right mood
reazonable20 June 2015
This is a great comedy with a lot of good racial humor, but it is for a narrow audience. If you like racial humor, Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart comedies, and bubble butts, you will love the movie. Although that is a lot of if's and many people will find it too distant from their own life experience to relate to the characters. The scenes are hardly predictable and will definitely surprise if not shock you. Some scenes may drag on for too long, but generally the movie flies by quickly. The acting is good, but for the fans of Will Farrell and Kevin Hart. Also make sure you are in a proper mood for watching an obscene comedy because the jokes will not spare you!
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7/10
I sincerely enjoyed it!
mohdhussain199331 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I am a huge Kevin Hart fan every since his first mainstream comic stand up (I'm a Grown Little Man). Enjoyed all of his movies especially The Wedding Ringer. Watching the trailer for the first time, I was insanely excited to see Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart working together! Finally I got a Saturday night show tickets to watch it and the movie was rather unique within its story in the beginning. Will Ferrell did what he does best with his over the top comic role of a millionaire, smart but naive character. Kevin Hart also did what he does best as a broke, vulnerable but funny confident character. Soon you find out that you have seen this before in buddy cop movies. Two very different personalities (status and attitude) get together to accomplish a goal and become best friends. It is a clichéd story which didn't live up to my expectations but they did have humorous scenes which got me laughing and isn't that the whole point? (Loved the transition where Ferrell's house turns from a lavish villa to a prison!) Aside the clichéd story and excessive sexual humor, I enjoyed Get Hard and the chemistry between the two lead actors.
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1/10
A whole movie about how funny it is that men get raped in US prisons
imdb-47886 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
So the whole plot of the movie is, that it is perfectly normal to get raped in a US prison. And as we learn at the end of the movie: this is also perfectly fine if it happens to the bad guys. It's so fine we can all have a good laugh about it.

In a time of the false Rolling Stone mass rape story, in a time where rape culture is seen everywhere except when it happen to men, in a time where we have countless "survivors of rape" in a "rape culture", in a time where "Hunting Ground" was made....in this time it is perfectly fine to make a comedy that circles around only one thing: that it is normal and really funny to get raped as a man in a US prison.

Definite, there is a rape culture in many countries. It is about how normal it is that males get raped in prison and how the bad guys earn to get raped. It's so normal that our society can make a nice comedy of that situation.

Now, if you think I am exaggerating: try to imagine a comedy where a female is threatened to get raped every day for the next 10 years. A comedy. And when she can clear her name at the end then we all are happy that two other bad ladies now get raped instead. Do you laugh now or feel sick? Then why don't you feel sick when it happens to a man?
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One of the worst films I've ever seen
Blueghost24 August 2015
I don't get why people like Will Ferrell. I've seen several of his movies over the last year, and I've laughed maybe just over a half dozen times at the dozen or so films I've seen him in.

And this film, other than the fact that it's about prisoners or criminals, has the worst jokes ever. I can't imagine anyone being in the theatre and seriously laughing at this junk.

Admittedly, I chuckled, and I do emphasize chuckle because I didn't laugh, a few times in this film. It wasn't entirely without humor, but the jokes were so base, the humor so low brow, the comic timing so poor, that one wonders what's happened to the aggregate IQ of the people of the United States of America.

A predictable script / story, some tasteless sexual situations, I wondered if the prisoner population, or people related and relating to prisoners, was such a big demographic that Will Ferrell and the powers that be thought this would be a good film to make.

Everyone I've talked to smirks and thinks Will Ferrell is Luke warm funny, me included. He's not entirely without humor. But he and his films are not the product of comic genius.

Hey look, if you've "done time", need to laugh at your incarceration, then maybe this film is for you, but otherwise give me the Three Stooges or Warner Brothers' cartoons any day over this garbage.

Avoid.
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6/10
Amusing
fluturoj3 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This was a typical Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart since both they characters are what you usually would expect from both of them. I found that sometimes there was unnecessary use of racist jokes but sometimes the whole idea of the movie was based on those prejudices and stereotypical jokes. The movie had a good plot and story line. The only thing that I found a bit off putting was how easy they recognised that Martin was the bad guy and how easy they won the confrontation with him. However, since the whole idea was the relationship between Darnell and James, I think its a good idea that they did not focus on the fight with the villain and as much as they did in preparing James for prison. So well done on that front.

Real-life lessons: Not much reflection about real-life can be done after this movie but this is quite understandable since the movie never aimed that in the fist place. Maybe the only thing is to realise how sometimes people are so narrow minded and actually do create beliefs about a person based on stereotypes. This movie is a good reminder why we should not do that.

Character analysis: James and Darnell are both well developed characters and very well brought to life by Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell.
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5/10
It has it's moments
osj250722 August 2015
It has it's moments, but all in all it could have been more, this duo works out quite well, but we never see the real power of them, they never really shine. There are scenes and lines here and there that work very well, but in the end it just gets a bit too superficial and delivers fast easy jokes that doesn't hit the mark for these two.

All is well that ends well and that it does, but we kind of figured that all from the beginning, in many ways this is way too obvious and does deliver what I expected, I know I sound very harsh and not very thrilled about this one and I am very disappointed :)

I did like the two main characters, both pretending to be someone they are not, and really working hard at getting everything to work out, while just being awkward and out of place.
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8/10
Funny & Clever
imbendingtime3 July 2015
I wonder if what the critics don't like about this movie is that it is actually clever, funny and vulnerable. I am glad I resisted the critic reviews and saw it. The performances by all actors are genuine. And of course there is just enough physical comedy and absurdity to make it silly in a good way.

Don't listen to the crusty old curmudgeons its a fun movie to watch. Some of the jokes are actually intelligent and you have to know a little about what is going on economically and racially in the Country to really get them. The only thing that I find puzzling is in every movie that has biker gangs, they never seem to get them right. They always portray them cartoony that was the only thing that I found disinteresting and only because of aesthetics.

Its a cute comedy. Don't be turned away by the crusty critics
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7/10
Hart and Ferrell team up well
bankofmarquis4 April 2015
Will Ferrell is an acquired taste. Either you like his humor, his ability to just "go for it" or you don't. Such is the case with GET HARD. If you like Ferrell, you'll like this movie. If you don't, don't waste your time.

The surprise to me, in this movie, was Kevin Hart. He, basically, is the star of this movie with Ferrell playing the straight man. That is, until Ferrell "breaks loose." Which means the first 3/5 of the movie is Hart's - and he hold our attention, and the humor, quite well.

But it is in a scene about 3/5 of the way in the movie that Ferrell finally lets go - and he lets go in one of the funniest sequences I have ever scene. I cannot describe the scene here for it is VERY politically incorrect, VERY adult and VERY funny. This scene is worth the price of admission alone.

I turn into about a 14 year old kid when Ferrell is at the top of his game, and - at times - he is in this movie with Hart providing enough backup humor to make this flick worth watching.

7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)
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1/10
It was dull up to a point...
trans_mauro9 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
then it became disgusting!!!!

I guess it is the sheer lack of new and good ideas or the perceptible decrease of the average citizen's IQ that prompts people to make this garbage.

For the first twenty minutes or so, it was an unfunny film, stale jokes, the usual silliness of Will Ferrell. Then, the writers,directors decided to amp up the gross-out humor and the audience is served with a scene where Ferrel's character is learning how to perform fellatio on another guy...

Well, this was supposed to be a comedy? But, if this is what is funny these days, I am even more worried about the future of this country.

Totally tasteless, crass. Only those with the IQ of baboons will find this insult to a thinking brain funny.
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7/10
Not funny, but clever!
Ramascreen28 March 2015
With GET HARD, I was bracing myself for sitting uncomfortably through a movie that was going to be racists and full of gay and dick jokes, constantly bombarding me and to a certain extent, racism is a big chunk or GET HARD's jokes, but it's mostly at the expense of rich people's ignorance toward minority and vice versa. And I never thought I'd ever say this about a Will Ferrell movie, but GET HARD is clever and I'll explain why.

Will Ferrell plays millionaire James King who's nailed for fraud and he request the help of the man who washes his car, Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart) to prepare him for life behind bars. That's essentially the plot for GET HARD. Quite simple and straightforward. The humor isn't always funny, the racist jokes aren't always spot on. It would've been one thing if they were, after all comedy almost always gets a pass for everything, so I wouldn't have been easily offended either, but what GET HARD lacks in its ability to get you to even chuckle, it makes up for in its clever concept.

To me, GET HARD is a satire on the one percenter, in one of the scenes, Will Ferrell's James King tells Kevin Hart's Darnell Lewis that hardwork, not handouts, pay off. But then there's another scene in which Will Ferrell's James King teaches urban black folks how to play stocks correctly and create wealth for themselves (even though the business they're in is shady) and that to me goes to show the mindset that one percenter has, they quickly dismiss the rest of us as lazy, when in fact sometimes all we need is just an investment to get ourselves started, sometimes all we need is somebody to teach us how to create wealth as well. The skills that these few rich claim to have, can be taught, they can be shared, they can be distributed, there's nothing exclusive about them. I don't remember having seen a comedy that tackles that, so I find myself pleasantly surprised by GET HARD. If that doesn't get you impressed, then what can do the trick is GET HARD's many ways of re-creating prison scenarios. It may not crack you up but it's interesting to see how a Bell-Air mansion gets transformed into a prison cell, prison yard and much more and they utilize the maids, the gardeners, the servants, posing as prison inmates, it's very creative.

Will Ferrell is in his usual self, butt naked, crying loudly and hysterically, I really can't get myself laughing at his being himself anymore, and Kevin Hart, the man who pretty much fills the void that Eddie Murphy left behind, is also in his usual self, banking on his being short, black, and a fast-talker, and so GET HARD pretty much presents all you already know about both Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, but the concept is a hidden gem.

Read more at Ramascreen.Com
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6/10
Semi-Hard
rjsf9622 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Before viewing 'Get Hard' I was optimistic whilst at the same time feeling nervous, worried and scared. I had good reason. Comedies have not been reliable as of late. It is with relief then that I can report that 'Get Hard' is funny, although not without a great many problems.

James King is a millionaire and has a dumb, beautiful wife that is clearly out of his league. King is framed for a crime he did not commit and the judge sentences him to time in a maximum security prison where he will go there within thirty days. He enlists the help of Darnell Lewis whom will help King overcome the horrors of prison for a small fee.

The best thing about 'Get Hard' and what it consistently uses to its advantage is the chemistry that Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart display. They bounce between each other and exude confidence on screen. If you cannot get enough of silly albeit crude comedies, then 'Get Hard' may just be the film for you. I understand that Kevin Hart will not be an actor that everyone will find hilarious, but for those of us that do, you can sleep easy knowing that he brings his A game to the mayhem that ensues. Ferrell as King is likable enough although not as well utilised in 'Get Hard' as he was in 'Anchorman', he still has charm to offer.

The thing with comedies nowadays is that the majority of them are racist. Some people may believe without thinking that 'Get Hard' is, although I beg to differ. Hart's character wants King to be racist to fit in with other people at prison. King says no, but eventually agrees. I never felt that 'Get Hard' was racist; your mileage may vary as to how sensitive you are. If you are unsure steer clear.

'Get Hard' in my mind never drags. I understand that comedy is more subjective than any other genre of film. So let's just say I love Edgar Wright comedies and despise most Adam Sandler films. That should give you an idea as to what I consider funny. 'Get Hard' is admittedly not as uproariously hilarious as '22 Jump Street' and lacks the subversiveness of the Cornetto trilogy.

The annoying thing about 'Get Hard' is that most of its problems could have been fixed. King's wife is never less than obnoxious; it is no shock that she is a gold digger. The twist at the climax of the film completely kills the mood. You can see it coming a mile off so it's no surprise to anyone. 'Get Hard' is not a thriller, so it's ever so odd that in the last few minutes it tries so hard to be. Now this is where things get confusing. 'Get Hard' is never outright homophobic. But it is best to say that some of the ideas behind certain scenes are questionable at best. When you make a joke about a guy almost giving head you know you have stepped over the line.

'Get Hard' is not a flawless comedy or even a great one, its merely serviceable. It's a shame as if it had aimed higher it could have pulled off grander, better and more tasteful jokes. I was however laughing almost non-stop, even if I was ashamed of myself for doing so. If that is any indication of its quality then you might want to give 'Get Hard' the benefit of the doubt. Just don't expect the wit of the Jump Street movies or the sophistication of an Edgar Wright comedy.
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7/10
Kev Hart and Will Ferrell are Comedic Gold
jerrywright1528 March 2015
I am a huge fan of both of these actors and the things they are able to accomplish on the big screen. You've got the funny, slightly weird, everyman, Will Ferrell who constantly brings audiences to tears with his comedic work in movies like Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers...etc. Then you have the rising box office movie star, stand up genius, one of the funniest guys in this GALAXY Kevin Hart who shines in buddy movies like Ride Along, About Last Night, The Wedding Ringer, Think Like A Man..so on. The pairing of these two actors on the big screen was a match made in the comedic heavens. It has been quite awhile since I have been able to sit in a theater and do nothing but laugh for a movies 100 min run time. From beginning to bittersweet end you will never find a period longer then a very few minutes where you just won't find something to laugh at. Although the way these two actors bring comedy to life may be slightly different, the play off each other exceptionally well in this movie as if they've been working together for years. Not to mention you get TWO very physical comedic actors who are not afraid to push subjects and themselves for pure entertainment. In my opinion this movie is far superior to Wedding Ringer or Ride Along, so if you enjoyed those, you'll love this. My only complaints for this would be that for a rated R picture, this was still very tame in terms of what these two "could" have brought to the table. The only thing that really seems to make this an R comedy is the mild language that really isn't that harsh and a large amount of the word "dick" and the actual showing of a penis. Other then that its your run of the mill comedy that brings me back to the days of an early Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey movie; with the laughs that just won't stop. I'd recommend keeping small children at home but other then that it really is a movie guaranteed to make the harshest of hearts smile. Hopefully from this we will start to see Kevin Hart take over as complete lead of a movie and put his acting to the ultimate test. As for Will Ferrell..well what can you say about a guy who pretty much conquers every single role he is offered, except for, I hope to see him in countless more roles. On a side note, for you rap fans out there. T.I. makes a substantial cameo in this movie and you can tell he still knows how to hold a screen from his ATL days.
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The Two Stars Make the Material
Michael_Elliott31 July 2015
Get Hard (2015)

*** (out of 4)

Millionaire James King (Will Ferrell) gets ten years in prison for a crime he didn't commit but he still needs to learn how to survive on the inside so he hires Darnell (Kevin Hart) to teach him how to be hard. James thinks just because Darnell is black that he's been in prison but what he doesn't know is that Darnell is just as chicken as him when it comes to fighting.

GET HARD isn't a complete success but there's no question that the two leads are in good form and there are enough laughs that make this worth sitting through. If you're looking for some sort of masterpiece or high-art comedy then you're not going to find it here. There's nothing clean about this movie as it attacks all races, sexes and genders as it pretty much tries to offend anyone and goes for the most obvious and at times graphic jokes that it can. There was some pre-release controversy about some of the stereotype jokes but I think it's safe to say that everyone is insulted so it's fair game.

I think the best thing going for the film is the chemistry between Ferrell and Hart. Both of them work well off of one another and especially whenever the screenplay lets them down. In all honesty, there's not too much here that we haven't seen in other comedies about prison but the two actors take the material and make it much better than it actually is. One of the highlights in the film is when Ferrell is supposed to go up to some tough guys and start a fight. The terror that Ferrell gets across was just hilarious.

The formula is pretty predictable as is the outcome. With that said, I'd guess that only around sixty percent of the jokes actually work but there are enough big ones to make the film worth viewing.
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7/10
Outrageous!
bbickley13-921-5866430 March 2015
A little skeptical at first due to the fact that the movie rips off another Saturday Night Live alum's movie. Rob Snider basically played the same character in Big Stan, Will Ferrell plays in Get Hard, so I thought it was strange the Ferrell would rip him off.

Of course Ferrell is far funnier in this situation of a white collar crook getting sentence to hard time and needing to be shown how to Survive prison.

Does not hurt to have Kevin Hart as your teacher. Kevin Hart is always funny.

I definitely would recommend seeing the movie. It's stupid, but that is the point, and Hart and Ferrell deliver some good laughs.
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2/10
Predictable
westsideschl4 July 2015
Nothing original - just a series of stolen monologues taken from past N.Y. & L.A. studios' formula of: 1. Stereotyping black and white views of each other (well, OK, ball park 90% were from the white camp). 2. Stereotyping rich and poor and their accompanying behaviors; as well as each toward the other (well, OK, 90% mostly put-downs of the wealthy). 3. Loads of obscenities for those still stick-stuck in that compensation stage of life (ages 13-17), or just as a convenient multipurpose tool to replace language never learned in school. 4. Lots of sex/drugs references to support #3 above and most importantly to give a dull, if not boring, script an edge. 5. Predictable martial arts action exchanges throughout the film as well as their eventual outcomes. Martial arts obviously rescued by stunt doubles and camera angles. 6. Ferrell looked tired; Hart looked stuck-in-a-rut. 7. Boils down to typical mental movie junk food, ball park: (80% of what comes out of the N.Y. & L.A. studios; 90% out of Bolly studios; 95% of releases from both Mexican TV & film studios).
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7/10
Let Me See Your Mad Dog Face
briand646531 March 2015
Let Me See Your Mad Dog Face: Watched Get Hard starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. Millionaire businessman "James King" played by Ferrell is caught-up in a financial scheme and is eventually nailed for fraud. His sentence is 10 years at San Quentin, California State Prison, so he hires "Darnell Lewis," his car-detail/wash guy played by Hart to prep him to survive while behind bars. "Darnell" agrees to help "James" but for a hefty price, $30,000 because he and his wife "Rita" played by Edwina Findley Dickerson are looking for a new house in a safe community for their daughter "Makayla" played by Ariana Neal.

"Darnell" does his best to train "James" who thinks he's been in prison before for the worst time of his life, when in reality it is "Russell" his cousin played by T.I. who tells "Darnell" what prison is really like. "James King" tries to seek protection from The "Crenshaw Kings," black gang, then a white gang, "Alliance Of Whites" while he is incarcerated. It is now up to "Darnell" to help "James" figure out how to prove his innocence instead of preparing him for prison.

The film also features a performance from John Mayer and veteran actor Craig T. Nelson who plays "Martin," "James King's" boss and hopeful father-in-law as "Alissa" played by Alison Brie is engaged to "James" for a bit in the movie until she finds out about his legal troubles.

Ferrell plays "James King" well and fits the part of being naturally funny as he was playing other characters in previous films like Anchorman. This 100 minute comedy is Rated R with some mild nudity and gay references but really hilarious! Makes a great date-night movie. My Cinema Score is 7/10! ‪#‎maverickradio‬™
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1/10
An utter disappointment
shehroze_ameen10 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is the worst movie Will Farrell starred in, period. The guy stooped really low on this one. And for me, coming from a person who really liked his movies, such as Anchorman (2004), Lego Movie (2014) and even The Other Guys (2010), this one was the absolute worst I've seen from him. The movie had zero humor, the protagonist isn't even likable, and the credence of the story has no involvement whatsoever. The degree to which this movie doesn't even attempt - ATTEMPT - to hold any meaning or credence for the movie (and also resulting in an exceedingly embarrassing moment which I will NOT even attempt to put into words) makes this... it is not a good movie. And is by far, the worst movie ever made by Farrell.

Unless you are brain dead, or just have a Will Farrell marathon running, you shouldn't bother watching this movie. It is a waste.
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9/10
A Great Comedy with Vulnerability
A-L-Ourson12 April 2015
I went into this film thinking that it would be just a dumb comedy, which I happen to love; however, the film exceeded my expectations. It does have funny stupid humor, but there is also an unexpected vulnerability in the two main characters.

Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart both portray good guys that are in bad situations. Kevin Hart's character, Darnell, has his own business, but bad credit and lack of savings keeps him and his family living in a rough area. Will Ferrell's character, James, has it all--beautiful fiancée, tons of money, lovely house. Sadly, James is framed for embezzlement and is sentenced to 10 years in a maximum security prison. Darnell, for a price, becomes James' tutor for prison life and hilarity ensues.

Even more than hilarity, James and Darnell start to genuinely care for each other. Their bromance is one for the books. The two actors have great chemistry and an awesome height difference. I would totally watch another movie with these two, especially if Will Ferrell does Capoeira again.

I also give points for originality. I have seen a ton of movies in my life, but none were someone gets tutored for prison. Plus, the tutorial is so elaborate and well planned.

Based on chemistry, comedy, creativity, and Capoeira, I definitely recommend this film!
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7/10
Better than expected
neil-4763 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Successful investment broker James (Will Ferrell) is given 10 years in San Quentin for fraud, with 30 days to get his affairs in order beforehand. Knowing that he will be unable to survive the experience, he hires his black jailbird car cleaner Darnell (Kevin Hart) to toughen him up beforehand. What he doesn't know is that Darnell has never been near a prison.

Will Ferrell is a tall white man and Kevin Hart is a short black man, and the height differential between the tall soft white man and the short aggressive black man is quite a good sight gag. Leaving that to one side for the moment, I admire Will Ferrell's talent but don't like very much of what he does, and I'm not overly familiar with Kevin Hart apart from the fact that I get the impression that he appears to come from the Martin Lawrence school of aggressive, shouty "comedy", so I wasn't expecting great things. And my expectations were born out in the early stages of this film. Predicated upon a contradictory scenario of an extremely stupid man who has made a lot of money by being extremely smart, with humour which otherwise consists mainly of shouting prodigious quantities of profanity and numerous "jokes" about homosexual anal rape, the young audience in the cinema laughed and I didn't.

The middle section - the toughening up boot camp section - was still shouty, sweary, and full of anal rape jokes, but contained some decent moments where the two characters start to bond somewhat. And the final section, where they finally seek to find the evidence necessary to clear James and put the real villain behind bars was actually quite good.

Accordingly, this was better than I expected it to be. But its real audience is people who like sweary anal rape jokes.
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1/10
Just Awful.
bryank-048446 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart have teamed up together for their latest comedy project called 'Get Hard' with enough double entendres for two movies. There are a couple of similarities from 'Trading Places' and 'Nothing To Lose' here in 'Get Hard', but nothing really seems genuine or charming enough to remember this film much beyond two minutes after viewing it. Etan Cohen (not to be confused of the Coen Bros.) steps into the director's seat for the first time, but has written screenplays such as 'Men In Black III', 'Tropic Thunder', and 'Idiocracy'. Clearly, he has some writing talent, but with 'Get Hard', it seems like he just let Ferrell and Hart do their own thing, which can be outrageously funny at times, but can also run off on long tangents, which often happens with this movie.

This movie survives and fails by its overdone racial, gender, and sexual humor, all of which has been done many times before this film. It's a tired and exhausting trope with these new comedies, however Hart and Ferrell's chemistry is quite good. The setup is with James King (Ferrell), an extremely wealthy investment banker who is as white bred as they come. He lives in a giant house with his materialistic fiancée Alissa (Alison Brie) and works at a large investment firm where his boss Martin (Craig T. Nelson) is also his future father-in-law.

Things look good for James until the authorities arrest James at work for securities fraud and embezzlement. He sticks to his guns that he is innocent and was framed, but the judge gives him ten years in prison. Now James has 30 days until he has to report to prison, and being the guy he is, won't last a day in jail. That's when he enlists the help of the black guy who washes his car, Darnell (Hart) for help, because according to James, 1 out of every 3 black people will end up in jail at some point.

What kind of help does James want from Darnell, who secretly has grown up in the suburbs, far from any street gangs? It's the kind of help that will make James "get hard" or get tough enough so he will be able to avoid rape and murder in prison, which is apparently all that happens when doing hard time, according to to these two characters. So over a few montage scenes of physical training, shoving things in your rectum, and a gay brunch out on the town where oral sex is highly likely, we see Darnell toughen up James.

That is until Darnell finally believes that James is innocent and tries to help him clear his name. Nothing in this movie really makes any sense. Everything is over-the-top and tries to hard to be funny, outrageous, and vulgar. I think certain people will try to say this is homophobic and somewhat racist, but I disagree. These are comedians who are using the stereotypes for comedy, but never in a hurtful way. It's all in good fun, but it outstays it's welcome early on. The only thing that matters with this film are Ferrell and Hart, as every other plot device and character are only given a couple of minutes of screen time with no real resolution or point to why anything is happening on screen.

'Get Hard' is the product of two very talented comedic actors who made a movie where they basically have no script and given free reigns to just riff one joke off another for two hours. There are some minor laughs and at least one scene that has Ferrell literally on his knees, deciding on whether or not to go all the way in, but it's not enough to make the entire film memorable or even that good.
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