High-school security guard and video-game junkie Ben (Kevin Hart) has been trying for two years to prove himself to hot-tempered police detective James (Ice Cube), to convince him he's good enough to marry his sister, Angela (Tika Sumpter). When Ben gets accepted into the academy himself, he thinks he’s finally earned James' respect and asks for his blessing.

However, James is not completely convinced. He decides to test Ben on a ride along to see if he has what it takes to take care of his sister. But what was supposed to be a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, and James discovers that Ben's rapid-fire mouth is as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.