Kevin Hart plus Will Ferrell should equal comedy gold.
But the superstar duo headline a new movie that is receiving attention for trafficking in stereotypes far more than humor.
Get Hard isn't just terrible, according to many critics, it's somewhat racist and kind of homophobic, as Ferrell's businessman of a character prepares for jail by seeking advice from Hart's character... simply because he's African-American.
Just how hard is Get Hard to like? Here's a rundown of what the critics are saying...
It trucks in stereotypes (black, white, Latino, female -- the list is long) and plays clumsily with sexuality. Still, the movie's greatest and altogether familiar sin is that it's stupid. - Lisa Kennedy
It's a modestly entertaining burlesque that might have been more upsetting if it weren't at least somewhat offensive. It adeptly satirizes racism and, less successfully, homophobia. - Randall King
Maybe, in a less enlightened time, Get Hard would seem like a scathing satire. As it plays today, however, it's more embarrassing than entertaining. - Bill Gibron
Get Hard is not only a lot smarter than you think, but also Will Ferrell's funniest film since 2008′s Step Brothers... & Kevin Hart's best performance on screen so far. - Mark Hughes
Comedy needn't be PC. But being offensive isn't funny, either. - Kirk Baird
Get Hard turns out to be a far cry from something like Trading Places or even the clever first half of the class-insurrection comedy of Tower Heist. - Wesley Morris