Despite earning middling reviews upon its release on June 24, 2022, the comedic action-thriller The Man From Toronto instantly shot up to the top of viewing charts on the streaming platform. Much of the appeal no doubt derives from the crowd-pleasing humor of Kevin Hart, who costars in the film opposite Woody Harrelson as a bumbling everyman who is mistaken for a ruthless assassin. As the two men trade places, high-octane hilarity ensues.
In many ways, The Man From Toronto marks a comedic return to form for Hart, who made slight dramatic departures with recent movies such as Fatherhood and True Story. The question is, do general moviegoers enjoy Hart’s dramatic work more than his comedic exploits? To accurately gauge such a query, the voters at Ranker have weighed in to let their opinions be known.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
10 Think Like A Man (2012)
In the first of several movies directed by Tim Story to make the grade, Think Like A Man is more of a romantic-comedic ensemble piece than a star-driven vehicle for Hart to do his thing. The film traces four distinct storylines that chronicle the ups and downs of various couples and their intimacy issues. Hart plays Cedric, “the happier divorced guy” who tries to turn the table on his ex-wife when he learns she secretly takes relationship advice from Steve Harvey.
A genuinely funny and rousing feel-good affair for the whole family to enjoy, the movie marked one of Hart’s first major big-screen successes following his popular stand-up comedy run, partially proving he can be a bankable Hollywood movie star. As such, Ranker also names it among The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made, and The Best Black Movies Ever Made.
9 The Wedding Ringer (2015)
Riffing on the age-old odd-couple dynamic, The Wedding Ringer finds Hart playing Jimmy Callahan, the CEO of Best Man Inc. who is hired to find a best man for the socially awkward Doug’s (Josh Gad) wedding. After several groomsmen prove unworthy, Jimmy assumes the role himself and the two slowly forge a meaningful bond as unlikely besties.
Directed by Jeremy Garelick, The Wedding Ringer was summarily dismissed by most critics at the time yet proved to be a big broad hit at the box office, earning more than thrice its budget globally (per Box Office Mojo). Despite the lackluster reviews, general moviegoers enjoy the silly premise, the adult-yet-sophomoric gross-out humor, and the waggish rapport between Hart and Gad that blossoms into a beautiful bromance by the end.
8 Ride Along 2 (2016)
While not quite as strong as the original, the hilarious chemistry between Hart’s imbecilic Ben and Ice Cube’s irascible James goes a long way in making Ride Along 2 worth the sit-through. Tim Story is once again at the helm of a story that finds the two not-so-buddy cops on a drug stakeout in Miami as Ben’s wedding approaches.
With the familial stakes raised by Ben marrying James’ sister Angela (Tika Sumpter), the action-packed set-pieces ultimately give way to a touching and tender story of brotherhood that hit most of the proper notes that worked so well in the first Ride Along.
7 Night School (2018)
To be fair, many fans of Hart expected more out of his first on-screen pairing with the equally hilarious Tiffany Haddish in Night School, especially since it’s the only feature film screenplay Hart has written and because it was helmed by Girls Trip director Malcolm D. Lee. However, the witty improvisational humor of Hart and Haddish definitely elevates the material.
Also hailed for its uplifting message about supporting others and encouraging them to make positive life changes, the basic high-concept premise finds a group of misfit high school dropouts attending night courses in order to pass the GED. With a handful of legitimate laughs and two towering comedic personas that bolster otherwise mediocre material, Night School passes with flying colors in Ranker’s eyes.
6 Get Hard (2015)
On paper, pairing Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell seems like a license to print money, and that’s precisely what Etan Cohen’s broad comedy Get Hard did in 2015, nearly tripling its budget at the international box office (per Box Office Mojo). The plot concerns millionaire James King (Ferrell) scheduled for a 10-year jail sentence, for which he plans to prepare by hiring so-called ex-con Darnell (Hart), who is really just a loving family man looking to better his family’s life.
Despite being drubbed by critics as formulaic and hurtfully offensive, Get Hard is beloved for offering viewers exactly what is expected from Hart and Ferrell’s established comedic personas while ribbing the glaring dynamics of class warfare.
5 Ride Along (2014)
Viewed as a superior stroll by Ranker fans and nearly every other review aggregator, the original Ride Along benefits from the fresh premise and first-time onscreen pairing of Hart and Ice Cube as quasi-rivals turned loving buddies. Tim Story helms a tale about Ben (Hart), a security guard who wants to prove himself and become a police officer by riding along with James, his girlfriend’s disapproving brother during a 24-hour Atlanta stakeout.
While the stale buddy-cop formula left a lot to be desired, most fans of the film are quick to defend Hart’s dazzlingly manic, live-wire energy that explodes off the screen like a firecracker and plays extremely well against Cube’s scowling grumpiness.
4 The Upside (2019)
In his only dramatic turn to make the grade, it’s great to see Ranker users support the genuinely heartening tear-jerker The Upside among Hart’s finest movie moments. A remake of the feel-good biographical dramedy The Intouchables, the story concerns the unlikely bond formed between Philip Lacasse (Bryan Cranston), a wealthy quadriplegic, and Dell Scott (Hart), an out-of-work ex-con who becomes his caretaker.
The Upside is based on a true story of two people from different walks of life who make a genuine connection with each other in uplifting ways rarely seen in movies anymore. Cynical critics may have found the story too mawkish to make an impression, while voters are much more open and accepting of the movie’s Hallmark qualities and effusive of Hart’s rangy performance that steps out of his comedic comfort zone.
3 Central Intelligence (2016)
Of all Hart’s comedic screen partners, none are more adored on Ranker than Dwayne Johnson. Perhaps it’s the sheer size disparity that accounts for the constant hilarity, but beginning with Central Intelligence, Kevin Hart’s most popular movies are the ones in which he goes head-to-navel with the big, bad Rock.
In Central Intelligence, old schoolmates Calvin (Hart) and Bob (Johnson) reunite after 20 years and become entangled in a knotty CIA plot involving rogue agents, espionage, double-crossing, and the like. But the twisty plot about second chances isn’t really what sells as much as the incendiary chemistry between Hart and Johnson that explodes off the screen with one genuine laugh after another.
2 Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
According to Ranker, the two best movies of Hart’s movie career to date include the two critically and commercially successful Jumanji movies. While the original slightly trumps the sequel, The Next Level builds on the mythology of the beloved board-game movie of the 1990s while also perpetuating the electric interplay between Hart and Johnson.
Fusing the buddy-comedy with body-swapping and fish-out-of-water formulas, The Next Level may not reinvent what worked so well in the original, but viewers obviously had an absolute blast watching the adventurous teens navigate their strange avatars and give droll impressionist performances.
1 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)
Ranker fans and most fellow movie lovers tend to agree that Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is better than its sequel, with Hart’s performance as Fridge opposite Johnson’s Spencer carrying the humor a long way toward the overall entertainment level of the movie. The story finds a quartet of teenagers unwittingly sucked into a mysterious video game, where they must complete various quests in the jungle while adjusting to their new fictional alter egos. The mixture of adventure, humor, action, and subversive plotting is as deliciously satisfying a result as hoped for.
Ranker users are not alone in supporting the film, as Jumanji became a runaway hit at the box office, turning its $90 million budget into a near billion-dollar moneymaker at the global box office (per Box Office Mojo), solidifying Hart and Johnson’s status as bankable movie stars that can deliver consistently convincing performances if given the right material.
