MOVIE REVIEW: CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Director:
Rawson Marshall Thurber
Cast:
The Rock, Kevin Hart
Another action buddy comedy with two of the hardest working guys in Hollywood right now. Kevin Hart (as Calvin) and The Rock (as Bob) play old high school classmates who were on opposite ends of the social spectrum back at school, but are reunited on the eve of their 20 year reunion. Their lives have taken drastically different turns since those classroom days when Calvin was the star quarterback and class king and “Bob” was a overweight, sensitive guy with no friends who looked up to Calvin.
Bob is now a government agent who’s going rogue to stop a supply of weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The way to crack this case is with the help a someone who can understand complex money transfers, and that’s where he finds accountant Calvin. Together they’re on the run, dodging bullets, rekindling their high school days, and coming to grips with who they are now, versus who they were.
This movie plays in the same neighborhood as Kevin Hart’s “Ride Along” films. The action scenes are passable, if not amazing and the funniest jokes most likely come from the star’s improv. “Central Intelligence” has some fantastic cameos sprinkled throughout and it manages to be a comfortable, by the numbers comedy, until the third act. Suddenly, the numbers get shuffled and it really kicks into gear and delivers on all levels.
Kevin Hart still manages to be funny, despite playing a slight deviation of the “Kevin Hart” character he’s been playing in his last few movies. The Rock has the performance of the film. He goes all in playing a socially awkward goofball who’s trying to save the world and hang out with his new best friend. I couldn’t believe this was the same tough guy from “Fast and Furious” and “San Andreas”. He’s hysterical.
All in all, I wish the action scenes were a little better, and there were a few more jokes in the middle, but this is a funny movie that plays really well to the crowd.
Grade: 3.5 out of 5
-Markellus
