Movie Review: Central Intelligence

How did it take Hollywood this long to cast Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson in a movie together? They've been two of the film industry's most charismatic actors and reliable scene-stealers for the past four or five years and have each demonstrated a knack for generating laughs, regardless of the quality of the material they're handed. Unsurprisingly, the two make a terrific on-screen pairing and their remarkable chemistry and comedic prowess makes Central Intelligence one of the most satisfying buddy movies to hit theaters in recent memory.  

The relatively generic spy plot basically just serves as an excuse to get Hart and Johnson into a series of ridiculous situations and run wild, which is completely fine because watching these two interact is absurdly fun and amusing. The script from Ike Barinholtz, David Stassen and Rawson Marshall Thurber (who also directed) is full of sharp one-liners and visual gags that keep the laughs coming and strongly utilizes the strong, natural rapport between Hart and Johnson. It was wise for the writers to put the story on the backburner and have the quality of the film largely hinge on the likability and talent of its two leads.

Best of all, Johnson and Hart are able to deliver top-notch performances while breaking free of the roles they've typically typecast in. Johnson's Bob Stone is a lovable goofball while Hart's Calvin Joyner is unassuming and even-keeled. There are bursts of their defining traits (Hart's live-wire energy and Johnson's deadpan delivery) sprinkled throughout, but for the most part these two spend the duration of this film proving that they don't need stick to their established niches to be funny. Central Intelligence is a top-notch, crowd-pleasing action comedy that serves as a perfect showcase for two of the brightest stars in Hollywood today.

4/5 Stars