Kevin Hart churns out films at a rate of a speeding train; the next on his non-stopping high speed express comes in Central Intelligence. Starring alongside wrestler turned lovable actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Quite frankly, if it wasn’t for Johnson this film would be a total wash out.
There certainly is a budding comedic bromanic between Hart and Johnson in Central Intelligence which could have been fine tuned with a little more effort on the script. Hart’s one liners very rarely bring a smile to the face. In fact, it’s Johnson, with his willingness not to take himself too seriously and facial expressions of desperation for a friend who seems to have got all the best lines bringing the entertainment.
Back in High School Bob (Johnson) was the typical fat kid bullied by the jocks; Calvin (Hart) was the school hero who was dubbed ‘the one who will make something of himself’. When Calvin is the only one to help Bob when he is thrown onto the school Basketball court…Naked, Bob makes him his best buddy without Calvin’s knowledge. Fast forward a few years, Calvin is an accountant and married to his high school sweetheart, disillusioned by what he has become, he refuses to go to the school reunion.
After Calvin accepts a friend request from Bob on Facebook the pair meet to reminisce on old times only for Calvin to discover that once the fat kid has turned into a ripped Adonis of a man who has hidden combat skills. In fact, Bob is now in the CIA and before he knows it Calvin is dragged into a world which see’s his unpredictable friend sought after by his CIA colleagues not only for the ‘death’ of his former partner but for being a corrupt agent.
Cameo appearances come from Triple 9 and Game of Thrones star Aaron Paul, Ghostbusters Melissa McCarthy and Horrible Bosses Jason Batmen trying to give this venture a little more weight which actually works as their story delves just a little into the past lives of these unlikely friends adding just a hint of a backstory.
Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber – best known for Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story -, This action/ comedy caper is certainly more worthy of its action than the comedy as the pair smash through windows and blow up cars, let’s just hope their future projects together such as the remake of Jumanji can see the pair as an equal comedy pairing.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE RELEASES IN UK CINEMAS JUNE 29TH 2016.