Etan Cohen's disastrous and offensive "Get Hard" is the epitome of a one-joke movie, despite a talented cast. - Written by Scott Gentry

"Get Hard" (15)
Directed by: Etan Cohen.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Craig T. Nelson and Alison Brie.
Rated: '15' for containing strong language and sex references.
Running time: 100 minutes.
Released in UK cinemas from the 27th of March, 2015.

Offensive on many levels, Will Ferrell's latest star vehicle plays out exactly the way it was described by one enraged critic at its SXSW premiere, stating that it seemed “racist as f–.” That's understandable. The ingenious pairing of Ferrell and Hart is the film's only redeeming feature, but when working from material written by Jay Martel, Ian Roberts and Etan Cohen (also director here, and writer of "Men in Black 3"), the two leads are forced to confront purely vulgar and completely humourless material, including an arguably homophobic sequence in which Ferrell's character is repulsed, when in preparation for prison life, is required to perform oral sex on a man whom he meets in a local gay bar; eventually not being able to bring himself to complete such an act. Or what about the completely needless introduction to everybody's favourite white supremacist group, the Alliance of Whites? Needless to say, you may be slightly offended.

Ferrell himself stars as James King, a successful stock broker who, upon the eve of his engagement party to the illustrious Alissa Barrow (perhaps the highlight of "Mad Men", Alison Brie), is wrongly arrested and convicted for tax evasion. Despite protesting his innocence, James is ordered to serve a 10 year sentence within the infamous San Quentin prison. With 30 days to get his affairs in order, James desperately seeks the help of a former acquaintance, Darnell (Kevin Hart), in a bid to become accustomed to prison life, as he presumes that Darnell has visited prison, purely based on the colour of his skin... Sigh.

"Get Hard's" often coarse and generally uninspired screenplay riffs upon the clichés of prison life (sexual assault, gang violence) in a manner which can only be described as insulting; not only to the audience's very intelligence, but due to the fact that the film itself is hilariously generic and outrageously offensive, especially since it classes itself as a piece of comedic cinema, for which it is a sorry excuse. Clearly, the filmmakers aren't attempting to offend, but when not handled properly, the content itself spirals out of control into a series of unnecessary sequences which can only pass for a multitude of sketches, poorly attempting to be substituted for a narrative structure. It just doesn't work. Perhaps the film's only redeeming gags appear when Darnell attempts to create a fake prison riot within James's mansion (in which a live monkey is thrown into the proceedings), and a " Boyz N the Hood" reference crops up, providing an enjoyable running joke throughout.


Verdict

"Get Hard" features a capable cast and a premise with potential, yet is spoiled in the creation of repulsive humour and needless stereotypes which aren't challenged, yet endorsed by the subject matter. When crafted well ("Team America: World Police", "Dogma"), offensive comedies can be hilarious, but "Get Hard" focuses on tired material, clearly not able to offer a fresh outlook on prison life.

2 Stars out of 10

Written by Scott Gentry.

 

 

Film/TV Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.

 

 

 

Trailer
 

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