One of the most surprising developments in American popular film over the last decade is the emergence of Dwayne Johnson as a major star. Using his popularity in the WWE as a foundation – and successfully putting it behind him, as well – he’s proven to be one of the most appealing of performers, an actor adept at action, drama and comedy whose natural ease on screen has made him an immensely likable personality. Inexplicably, Johnson has a way of making everything he’s in better (well, maybe not Be Cool), and while I might not necessarily look forward to his movies, I certainly don’t dread them.
The exact opposite is the case for me where Kevin Hart is concerned. Though talented, the comedian’s act has grown old in record time as his shrill turns in one movie after another are all the same. If you have a character that suffers from delusions of grandeur, has a big mouth and titanic ego, and often winds up looking the fool, Hart’s your man.
So, the question where Central Intelligence is concerned (in which both actors are cast) is whether Johnson’s magnetism and likability can elevate Hart, or if the comedian’s onenote repertoire drags his mountainous co-star down to his level. Thankfully, the verdict is a positive one as the two actors compliment one another to great effect, generating consistent laughs throughout this rote albeit well-done exercise.
Hart is Calvin Joyner, an accountant who feels as though his life is empty, having not lived up to the great expectations others had foisted upon him. During a random Facebook check, he comes in contact with Bob Stone (Johnson), a former high school classmate of his who was often the target of bullies and hasn’t been heard from by anyone in 20 years. With time to kill, Joyner agrees to meet him for drinks and is amazed by the physical change he’s undergone. He’s even more surprised when Stone singlehandedly beats up four would-be assailants and ultimately reveals he’s in the CIA and needs Joyner’s help with a bit of international espionage.
The plot is inconsequential, as it’s the usual rigmarole concerning terrorists and satellite codes and world domination and blah, blah, blah. No, nothing new here, but at least director Rawson Marshall Thurber keeps things humming along – though he can’t film or stage an action sequence to save his life.
Much like Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street and its sequel, the opposites that are Hart and Johnson compliment each other very well as the former’s spastic approach bounces off the latter’s straight-man act with some very big, and I mean very big, laughs as the result. The film does have its share of down moments, as time must be spent dispensing with rudimentary plot points, but Thurber dispenses with these moments quickly, knowing the film’s bread-and-butter is the banter his two stars engage in.
Buoyed by two effective, surprise cameos, Central Intelligence completes its mission with aplomb, consistently delivering one big laugh after another during a summer that’s had far too few of them. In fact, it’s so well done that you might find yourself actually looking forward to its inevitable sequel.
Contact Chuck Koplinski at [email protected].
