'Ride Along' Trailer: Ice Cube Is Not Impressed By Kevin Hart

After playing one of the most memorable supporting characters in 21 Jump Street, Ice Cube is getting a buddy-cop comedy of his own.

That header image probably tells you everything you need to know about the dynamic at the center of Ride Along, but in case you need more detail: The comedy stars Kevin Hart as Ben, an aspiring cop who wants to ask his girlfriend (Tika Sumpter) to marry him — much to the irritation of her big brother James, a tough Atlanta PD officer. In an effort to scare him off, James invites Ben to prove himself on the worst ride-along ever. Watch the trailer after the jump.

There's not a lot in the trailer that looks wildly original, but at least Hart and Cube look like an entertaining pair. As with last weekend's The Heat, if the central pairing is strong enough, the film's shortcomings should be easier to overlook. In any case, Universal has a lot of faith in the film. They set a sequel in motion all the way back in April, with writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi returning.

Ride Along opens January 17, 2014Tim Story directs.

Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the lineup in Ride Along, the new film from the director and the producer of the blockbuster comedy Think Like a Man. When a fast-talking guy joins his girlfriend's brother—a hot-tempered cop—to patrol the streets of Atlanta, he gets entangled in the officer's latest case. Now, in order to prove that he deserves his future bride, he must survive the most insane 24 hours of his life.

For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben (Hart) has been trying to show decorated APD detective James (Cube) that he's more than just a video-game junkie who's unworthy of James' sister, Angela (Tika Sumpter). When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he's earned the seasoned policeman's respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela.

Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner's rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.