8 questions to ponder while watching ‘Ride Along’

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ice Cube, right, and Kevin Hart in a scene from "Ride Along." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Tika Sumpter, left, and Kevin Hart in a scene from "Ride Along." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Quantrell D. Colbert)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Bryan Callen, left, and John Leguizamo in a scene from "Ride Along." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Quantrell D. Colbert)

Questions to ponder while watching the new Kevin Hart-Ice Cube action-comedy “Ride Along”:

1) With jokes about Sir Mix-A-Lot, “Training Day” and Cube’s 1993 anthem “It Was a Good Day,” how long had this script been sitting around?

2) Wouldn’t it have felt fresher if it had been Cube and Chris Tucker’s follow-up to “Friday”?

3) Aside from “Silver Linings Playbook,” whatever happened to Chris Tucker?

4) With almost nothing original to say, how could it possibly have taken four people to write this?

5) What incriminating evidence did director Tim Story have on Laurence Fishburne to get him involved in this?

6) How much does Kevin Hart charge to stand next to people to help them feel like giants?

7) Did I leave the garage door open? (Be prepared for your mind to wander.)

8) Why, when there have been so many better movies released over the past few weeks — “American Hustle,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Her,” “Lone Survivor,” “August: Osage County,” “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” “Saving Mr. Banks” and “Dallas Buyers Club,” just to name a few — am I watching “Ride Along”?

“Ride Along” is rated PG-13 and opens Friday, January 17 nationwide.