Review: ‘Central Intelligence’ is not as funny as it should be with Hart, Johnson

Posted on June 24, 2016

By MARK VIOLA

Sometimes you look at a film and on paper, it has everything going for it. One such movie is the new spy comedy, “Central Intelligence,” which stars not one, but two power-house actors in Dwayne Johnson (“Furious 7”) and Kevin Hart (“Ride Along”). Additionally, it features director Rawson Marshall Thurber, who gave us “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” and “We’re the Millers.” And if that wasn’t enough, the script is co-written by Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen, two writers from the well-received TV series, “The Mindy Project.”

And the result of that mountain of potential? Well, “Central Intelligence” is indeed a pretty funny movie and one I laughed during  frequently, but it is also one in which I never truly broke down in laughter like I would during a really great comedy.

Johnson and Hart have amazing chemistry and the scenes which feature them both are definitely the movie’s best, but outside of the jokes and humorous situations, the story delivers a very generic, predictable spy movie.

The film’s premise is actually pretty interesting and, like the rest of the movie, is filled with potential. We first meet Calvin Joyner (Hart) as a high school senior, the epitome of a perfect student: a letterman athlete in three sports, president of the drama club, valedictorian and voted most likely to succeed. Meanwhile, Robbie Weirdicht (played by a very computer-generated, fat Dwayne Johnson), is ruthlessly picked on by his fellow students–but not Calvin.

Twenty years later, Calvin is a pretty average accountant, working for a pretty average accounting firm. He did marry his high school sweetheart and lives in a nice house, but he can’t shake the feeling that he peaked in high school and never lived up his potential.

Then one day he is contacted by somebody named Bob Stone, who turns out to be Robby Weirdicht, who now looks like Dwayne Johnson. It turns out Bob works for the CIA and need Calvin’s accounting skills to help him break his latest case. He’s trying to track down a potential mole in the CIA and their meeting puts Calvin directly in the crosshairs of Bob’s enemies.

While “Central Intelligence” is not a great comedy, Johnson and Hart have solid comedic chemistry and there are laughs to be found. I just can’t shake the feeling there was a better movie to be made with these various pieces.

The movie is rated PG-13 for crude and suggestive humor, some nudity, action violence and brief strong.

(This is a abbreviated version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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