Get Hard

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Get Hard Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Comedy riffs on wealth gap, race but relies on stereotypes.

R 2015 100 minutes
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 10 reviews

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 23 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the "hard R" Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, while absolutely crude and over the top, seems to want to give viewers the chance to question their own biases. But it does so by relying on lots of existing stereotypes based on race, gender, and sexual preference (the gang-banger, the materialistic Daddy's girl, etc.), which detracts from its effectiveness. Expect some violence (shooting, fighting, an all-out brawl) played for laughs, shock-value nudity (including a brief flash of a penis), other sexy scenes (lingerie, twerking, implied oral sex), lots of swearing ("f--k," the "N" word, and more), drinking, and pot use.

Community Reviews

Thaddeussimus
Thaddeussimus Adult
June 14, 2021
age 18+

Had to switch it off because of anal rape joke

There are quite a lot of gratuitous sex and racism jokes at the start. A man’s naked bum and swear words (f-word , b-word and others). This was slightly inappropriate for my 12 year-old daughter, but then Kevin Hart goes into a rather long description of how he hopes that Will Farrell is going to get anally raped by a black man in prison. He acts out the movement for quite a while with his hands and describes the black man slapping against Will Farrell‘s white bum. He then said he would get gang raped as well. I made an account here especially to review this film as it is very trivialises rape and is pretty racist. I don’t think any teens should watch this. I had to switch off after the rape joke as it made me feel really sick. There is a rape epidemic in prisons and that is certainly not something that should be trivialised like that.

This title has:

Too much sex
Pres
Pres Adult
October 13, 2020
age 18+

Graphic & Gratuitous nudity

Once again, CSM doesnt begin to tell the viewer about the graphic nudity and sex. While under attack after leaving the supremacist biker club, one of the women attacking them jumps on the windshield of the car and (surprise!) her blouse rips open revealing her bare chest and nipples pressed up against the glass. One of the characters yells "Nazi Titties" in horror as they swerve to throw her from the car. This scene is for comical effect and graphic though not sexual. But still unnecessary. At the beginning we see male rear nudity as the main character does some form of nude yoga squats in the mornings. (Awkward/Comical, not sexual) Shortly after there is a scene lasting about a minute where his fiancé seductively persuades him to buy her a bigger house by jumping on him in lingerie. (No nudity in this scene). In a bathroom stall you can see a closeup of a semi-flaccid penis sticking out of a mans pants so that Will Farrell can practice oral sex for prison. At a white supremacist biker club, we see several topless women wearing leather thongs objectifying women. Towards the end of the movie we see images of the penis scene as memories Many crude and vulgar jokes in the movie

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Hedge fund whiz James (Will Ferrell) is at the top of his game: In one workday, he'll make more than $20 million for his company's founder, Martin (Craig T. Nelson), who also happens to be the father of James' fiancée (Alison Brie). But when the FBI arrests James for supposed embezzlement and fraud -- accusations he vociferously denies -- he has just 30 days to "get hard," i.e. toughen up before he's sent to San Quentin. Enter Darnell (Kevin Hart), the proprietor of the car wash in the parking structure where James leaves his car. Darnell needs $30,000 for a down payment on a house in a safer Los Angeles neighborhood so he can stop worrying about his daughter's safety, so he presents himself as the best "prison coach" for James ... little does James know that his mentor isn't working as hard as he promises to keep James out of jail. Besides, if James didn't misappropriate the funds, who did?

Is It Any Good?

Good satire has wit and heft, and isn't afraid to poke fun not just at the establishment but also at unexpected targets; the latter half is where GET HARD comes up short. While it deftly roasts mega-wealthy Wall Street types who don't deign to look at (or even remember the names of) the people who work for them, it doesn't push the envelope far enough -- or come up with refreshingly irreverent ways to do so. (That the "help" would be happy to turn the tables on their condescending boss is hardly a surprise.)

And when the movie does make its points, it too often relies on racial, sexist, and homophobic stereotypes that detract from the enjoyment of Ferrell and Hart's winning rapport and infectious glee. The two stars are the best parts of the movie, and they keep things funny enough. It's just too bad they aren't supported by a more interesting script.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the role that stereotypes play in Get Hard. The movie pokes fun at stereotypes, but it also relies on many them for its humor. How does that work? Does it even out? When, if ever, are stereotypes OK?

  • What is the film trying to say about the wealth gap?

  • You could argue that a lot of the humor in movies like Get Hard seems intended for shock value. Does that make it more or less funny? Why do you think different groups of people find different things funny?

  • Is James and Darnell's friendship believable? What does each get out of their relationship?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: March 27, 2015
  • On DVD or streaming: June 30, 2015
  • Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie
  • Director: Etan Cohen
  • Studio: Warner Bros.
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 100 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: pervasive crude and sexual content and language, some graphic nudity, and drug material
  • Last updated: January 2, 2023

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