Central Intelligence

Plot synopsis:
1996 - Central High School student Robbie Whierdicht (Dwayne Johnson) is in the locker room shower dancing and lip-syncing to En Vogue's "My Lovin". A group of high school bullies led by Trevor Olsen (Dylan Boyack) come in and mock Robbie since he is overweight and dorky. Meanwhile, a school assembly goes on with the whole senior class honoring its most popular student Calvin "The Golden Jet" Joyner (Kevin Hart). Trevor and his goons carry Robbie into the gym and slide him across the floor butt-naked. Everyone laughs at Robbie, except for Calvin, who gives him his jacket to cover himself up. Robbie runs out of the gym, utterly humiliated.20 years later, Calvin works an accounting job that he hates. His former assistant just got promoted above him. Calvin is married to his high school sweetheart Maggie (Danielle Nicolet), but their marriage hasn't been going well as of late. What's more, their high school reunion is coming up, and Calvin fears that he's peaked in high school and his life has just gone downhill.At work, Calvin declines a Facebook invitation to the reunion. Immediately after, he receives a friend request from someone named Bob Stone. Immediately after THAT, he gets a suspicious phone call, but it turns out to be Maggie. Bob Stone then starts messaging Calvin to invite him out for a drink. He claims he is really Robbie Whierdicht. Calvin hesitantly accepts the invite.Calvin walks to the bar and is surprised to find that Robbie has completely transformed into a muscular guy. The two have drinks and catch up. As Bob leaves for a moment, a man walks by and takes Bob's chair. Calvin tells the guy to give it back, but the guy's friends stand up menacingly. Bob returns and tells them to apologize for disrespecting Calvin. One of the goons happens to have a gun. Bob takes his shot and simply says "I don't like bullies" before kicking all their asses in less than ten seconds.Calvin and Bob leave the bar, with Calvin excited over what he just witnessed. They head over to their old high school for a stroll down memory lane. They see a trophy case with all of Calvin's accomplishments, along with a picture of a girl named Darla McGuckian, whom Bob had a crush on and was noted for having two lazy eyes. Bob walks by the boys locker room and is brought back to the worst day of his life. Calvin comforts him and pulls him away from there.The two then walk back to Calvin's house. Before they part ways, Bob mentions needing Calvin's help regarding something in Calvin's line of work. Bob goes into his house to use the computer. They come across files involving satellite codes and a bidding war. Bob spills beer on Calvin's laptop before they can see more. He then asks to sleep over. Calvin reluctantly allows him to do so.In the morning, a group of CIA agents led by Pamela Harris (Amy Ryan) show up at Calvin's door looking for Bob. Calvin says he's on the couch, and the agents head in. Bob is nowhere to be found. Harris explains to Calvin that Bob is wanted for murder and conspiracy to commit treason.The agents follow Calvin to work in case he makes contact with Bob. Sure enough, Bob calls Calvin and says he is somewhere in the building. Harris leads the agents to that specific floor, but Bob is really hiding in Calvin's office. Bob reveals he is in the CIA and that the people that want the satellite codes are willing to kill for them. Bob calls for an Uber to pick them up, which will be in six minutes. He times his next moves accordingly. Bob takes Calvin's tie and wraps it around the sprinkler on the ceiling. He then lights it on fire before Calvin runs outside to alert everyone to Bob's presence. The agents run up and start shooting at Bob, but the man effortlessly hits back and incapacitates most of the agents. He and Calvin are then cornered by Harris and the other agents. At the right moment, the sprinklers go off, giving Bob the chance to wheel Calvin away in a mail cart and burst out a window. They land on the company's inflatable balloons and ride away in the Uber.Bob takes Calvin to his safe spot to remove the GPS from the car. Bob tells Calvin about how he's been set up, since his partner Phil (Aaron Paul) was trapped in an elevator and was left to be blown up, which Bob has been framed for. He believes someone with the code name "Black Badger" is seeking out the satellite codes for a sinister purpose, and he needs Calvin's help because he's the only person Bob trusts. An assassin shows up on his motorcycle. Bob knocks the guy off, leaving Calvin to take the motorcycle and ditch Bob. He calls Maggie and tells her to not go home. As he walks away, Harris pulls up in a van and makes Calvin get in. She says Bob is dangerous and flips his story around to say that it was HE that betrayed Phil and orchestrated his murder. She gives Calvin a device to use in order to alert them to Bob's whereabouts.Calvin meets Maggie at the office of a marriage counselor named Dr. Dan...who is really Bob. They have a session in which Calvin is made to look like a bad guy who is hurting his and Maggie's relationship. After Maggie leaves, Calvin threatens Bob with calling Harris. Bob knows he wouldn't do that.The two of them go to the office of someone that can help them out on their mission. Unfortunately for Bob, this person is Trevor Olsen (now played by Jason Bateman). After Trevor gets them what they need, Trevor brings up the incident that has traumatized Bob. Trevor claims to have found religion and he delivers a heartfelt apology to Bob...which he quickly takes back as he was faking. He's still a dick that thinks little of Bob. Calvin waits for Bob to kick his ass too, but Bob freezes up and decides to leave. As they leave the office, Calvin gets a call from Harris saying that he needs to deliver Bob to them, or something will happen to Maggie. Calvin then meets Bob outside. Bob says Calvin was always his only friend...which makes it harder on both of them when the agents arrive and apprehend them.Bob and Calvin are detained at the CIA headquarters. The agents start to torture Bob to get info out of him by breaking one of his fingers. Filled with regret, Calvin fights back and rescues Bob, leaving the other agents in cuffs. Calvin apologizes to Bob for what he did, deciding he still wants to help him. Bob forgives him and proceeds to give him a high-five, only to see his messed-up finger. He pops it back into place.Bob and Calvin learn the location of where the bad guys want to buy the satellite codes. They fly a plane to the spot, but Bob says the plane has run out of gas. They head in for a crash landing. Calvin expresses his regret of not being a father. Bob then pulls the plane back up, having faked the situation to get Calvin to express his fears under extreme stress.Bob heads into the buy alone, telling Calvin, "I'll see you on the other side", which is the same thing he told Phil before his death. Calvin then spots Harris showing up at the location, leading him to think she's Black Badger. Calvin enters the buy spot to find Bob making the deal with the buyer (Thomas Kretschmann). Bob shoots at Calvin, but he just grazes his neck. The real Black Badger emerges to make a deal...it's Phil, claiming he has the real satellite codes. He and Bob argue over who the real Black Badger is, and Phil insults "Sixteen Candles" and "Road House", Bob's favorite movies. Harris and her agents arrive and start shooting at the buyer and his goons, leaving Calvin, Bob, and Phil to run. Calvin ends up swiping the codes.The three all find themselves over a small bridge. Calvin has a gun in his hands, and he aims it at both Bob and Phil. He shoots Bob in the leg, but he holds the gun on Phil. Phil says he faked his own death and set Bob up simply because he was just annoyed with Bob as his partner, always being a dork and going on about how Calvin was his hero. Before Phil can kill Calvin, Bob rips out Phil's throat (just like "Road House") and pushes him into the river. Bob apologizes to Calvin for shooting him, saying he needed to make it look convincing.The guys hand over the codes to Harris, who thanks them for their help. With Bob's name cleared, Harris has them taken to the reunion in a chopper. The two arrive and meet Maggie. Calvin promises to make things work between them.The three enter the reunion. A new prom king is announced, and it's Bob. Calvin tells Maggie he hacked into the school's voting system and gave him the honor. Trevor and his buddies go up to make fun of Bob, but he won't have any of it, and he gives Trevor a punch that he's had coming for 20 years. Bob goes onstage and gives a speech stating that he's come to accept who he is and acknowledging Calvin as his friend. He then proceeds to take his clothes off, no longer ashamed of himself. The others cheer him on. Bob is then approached by Darla McGuckian (Melissa McCarthy). He takes off her glasses, claiming she is beautiful as she is. They then kiss. Bob and Calvin go on to dance.Months later, Maggie is pregnant with her and Calvin's first kid. Bob arrives to pick Calvin up to hang out. He gives Calvin back his jacket that he gave him 20 years earlier. The two then head off.

Tags: comedy, murder, violence, flashback, revenge, prank

Review:
Dwayne Johnson plays the gentle giant Bob Stone/Robby Weirdicht (haha pun) who works for the CIA while Kevin Hart plays the everyday joe Calvin Joyner (a nice change of pace in my opinion).
He's also a nice guy, sensitively covering the modesty of overweight loser Robbie Wheirdicht (a good Dwayne Johnson lookalike actually played by internet wedding-dance sensation Sione Kelepi) after he's been ridiculed by bullies in front of the whole school.But sometimes life doesn't go to plan and twenty year's later Calvin may have married his high school sweetheart Maggie (Danielle Nicolet) but has ended up in a low-level forensic accountancy job and not where he wants to be.
True enough, this film is an excuse to have Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kevin Hart play delightfully silly characters amidst a fairly disposable plot.
He now resurfaces as Bob Stone, a herculean CIA agent who decides to reunite with his only friend in high school, Calvin "The Golden Jet" Joyner (Hart) — back then Central High's "most likely to succeed" student.
Central Intelligence is given more depth when it deals with our main characters' high school baggage – Calvin's frustration on his life turning not the way he expected, and Bob's self-esteem issues due to the serious and lasting effects of bullying.Don't get me wrong, the exhausting espionage plot struggles to have any shred of intelligence to it.
Apart from the comedy itself, the film apologizes in its shortcomings by boasting a roster of cameos that I'll leave unmentioned for the sake of surprise.You can groan at its dumb plot, get antsy over action scenes where no one (not even trained CIA gunmen) can shoot straight or frown at Calvin and Stone whispering strategies whilst pointed with guns, but Central Intelligence is hard to dislike because Johnson and Hart shine perfectly in their roles and hence, elevate this film from subpar to moderately enjoyable.
It also deserves credit for switching roles and getting the lead actors to do something unexpected of them, putting the well known comedian, Hart, in a straight role and putting an action star, Johnson, as the flamboyant, over the top character, this differentiated the movie, making it more interesting.
Here comes another buddy cop film,this time with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in the lead roles.I thought this movie would fail miserably.I thought it was ripping off Ride Along(which is not a good film to rip off) but it surprisingly stands on its own and makes for a fun time at the movies.Bob Stone asks his old classmate,Calvin Joyner to help him with his computer skills.I don't really like Kevin Hart all that much,because he plays the same character in every film and even though he does have acting skills,he goes OTT in every performance.But his character is a bit more serious in this one and Dwayne Johnson is awesome as ever in his role.The main strength of this movie is the chemistry between the 2 leads.They are so much fun to watch.One is a fearless agent and the other a normal guy who can't even hold a gun.There are some nice jokes and gags as well.On the downside,the film falters sometimes in the plot section.Yet another OTT performance by Kevin Hart(as mentioned above) I wish the action scenes had a bit more lustre in them.But do not be bothered by that because this is the action junkie in me speaking,and you may like this movie more than I did.This movie isn't completely flawless,nor is it totally groundbreaking in the buddy cop genre.But it is still worth watching in the theatre,thanks to the chemistry between the 2 leads and a lot of laughs..
It only seems a disappointment how they don't quite manage to portray the same on screen chemistry for the movie.Hart plays Calvin Joyner, an accountant and one time high school golden boy who regrets that he never lived up to his potential.
Now I will state from the start that Kevin Hart as a comedian has never appealed to me and so therefore that also translates into his films having never been intrigued enough to go see one of his (some of the critical receptions bare this out) but this is obviously where that trend ends for me.In this 'mismatched' buddy action comedy both Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson seem to have stumbled upon some fabulous comedic chemistry that I most certainly didn't see coming.Having stated my indifference earlier to Kevin Hart I am at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to Dwayne Johnson, a man, an actor who probably shouldn't be as successful as he is...yet I can't resist his charms, there is just something inherently likable about the man as an on screen presence and as an actor in general and that is no different here.Quick plot synopsis now, flashback to high school, Hart is Mr. Popular, Johnson is the school joke, flash-forward twenty years to the present day where after a social media inspired meetup if would appear maybe that now the two have switched places in life (quite a common story arc) and what may also be certainly more concerning for Hart is the fact that Johnson may appear to be a spy on the run, so ensues a parade of nifty chase sequences some rather inspired and choreographed escape fighting scenes interspersed of course with Hart chipping in with comedic observations of their currently absurd predicament.
There is in particular a scene where Johnson has replaced the role of a therapist who is about to give marriage counsel to Hart and his wife and it is extremely funny.This should not of entertained me as much as it did and trust me I am as surprised as anyone that it got many laughs out of me, it certainly does remind me in parts to 21 Jump Street, what I mean by that is it being a nice comedic surprise of a film that has the laughs but actually does in part also have a heart in place, or as the brilliant marketing department said on the films tagline and posters 'It takes a little Hart and a big Johnson' just superb.I was a little concerned after the films opening which I mentioned earlier is a flashback to high school where we see the rather unsubtle face of Johnson transposed onto the head and body of a rather overweight kid but the film got out of that just pure weird territory quicker than expected, yes not every joke hits the mark but the success to failure rate is amply way on the positive side of things and the pace and action is brisk enough that it never overstays its welcome which is very surprising given the near two hour feature length running time.But I suppose the main question that does have to be asked though is 'who is the Black Badger' maybe I'm the Black Badger, as Thomas Kretschmann brilliantly puts it.So it's not particularly going to change the comedic landscape out there but it more than succeeds in keeping you very entertained throughout mainly thanks to the great comedic chemistry that Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson bring to the party..
Another annoying film where a main character (Kevin Hart's) arrested then acts and starts babbling in ways that no living person ever would while the arresting CIA agents hang around in the scene inertly (and no, his act is not in the slightest way funny.) Likewise its hard to get any handle on Dwayne Johnson's character - he's made good from being the bullied fat kid at the opening but a confusing trajectory which led him to be a CIA agent, but is he good or rogue?
I'm reviewing this movie simply because I was disappointed with the way the movie went.central Intelligence, is an action comedy film, the action wasn't too bad and the comedy, well just couldn't get the sense of humor I watched better action and comedy even when it is an action comedy film like Hot Fuzz or 21 Jump Street which are really good.
This is definitely one of the better buddy-cop action comedies we've gotten in the past few years.Central Intelligence gets a B.Check out my Youtube channel where I review movies as well!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOGWUFunDhIwKVcL7eNMWiQ.
1 Thumb Up. 18 June 2016: I saw Dwayne Rock Johnson & Kevin Hart in their new action comedy and it was really good.
I knew that Kevin Hart would be funny and that is what the audience is expecting from him, but the surprise stand out is action actor tough guy Dwayne Rock Johnson, who proved in this movie and in a movie he did several years ago titled "The Game Plan" with cute little actress, Madison Pettis in year 2007 that he can really transform from tough guy to letting himself go and be really good in a comedy film.The really cute actress who plays Kevin's wife, Danielle Nicolet African American looks like a younger version of Italian American actress television host, Juliana Rancic.All of Dwayne scenes were funny and on point.
I looked forward to seeing this movie as soon as it was announced - The Rock and Kevin Hart seemed like the perfect combination for action and comedy.
'CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE': Four Stars (Out of Five)An action-comedy buddy flick, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart.
It's a pretty funny movie, because of the pairing of Johnson and Hart, and it's also surprisingly touching (at times).Johnson plays Bob Stone; a once bullied (and severely overweight) nerd, that's now a lethal CIA agent.
Unfortunately, Central Intelligence is an action comedy which skimps on both the action and the comedy.This was disappointing for so many reasons, but mainly because expectations were high with the tagline for the film being such a stroke of genius: "Saving the world takes a little Hart and a big Johnson" (I do love a good pun).
This is not hate on Dwayne Johnson or Kevin Hart - I have seen both of them in previous films and really enjoyed their work which is the main reason we thought this would be a good choice to see Saturday night.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Kevin Hart star in this absolutely farcical movie about a bullied fat kid turned muscle man who also happens to be in the CIA.
Surprisingly, its thematic elements about bullying and humans reaching potential elevate the film above quips and slapstick.Bob (Dwayne Johnson) and Calvin (Kevin Hart), former high school chums, get involved 20 years later in a haphazard investigation of a secret government activity that involves foreign spies and questionable US agents.
The challenge of determining who is good and who is bad is middlin' but entertaining.Their friendship goes back to when Calvin, the "Golden Jet," was the most likely to succeed senior and Bob the obese object of bullying; their hookup now before the reunion provides a chance for the director, Rawson Marshall Thurber, and his writers to run a theme about "what have you done with your life?" Calvin feels as an accountant he has not reached the heights his early accomplishments promised, despite the fact that he married the best female in the class, who became a successful attorney.Bob, on the other hand, has grown from a fat boy into, well, the "The Rock," with marvelous muscles, a world-class smile, exuberance, and a job with the CIA.
One thing is for sure, Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson are an intelligent comedy team, which should be central to our summer enjoyment for years to come..
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock really puts on a great performance in Central Intelligence, as does Kevin Hart.
Central Intelligence is a buddy cop film starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson.
I think we could be seeing a lot more of these two together in future films because they work together so well.Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) was the most popular kid at his high school, voted the most likely to succeed, who went by the nickname 'Golden Jet'.
This is my review of Central Intelligence (spoiler free) ** (2/5)Cast: Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet.Plot: After he reunites with an old school pal through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.Everyone knows who Dwayne Johnson is at this point we can all bet that once he punches someone in his movies that person is then going to get thrown into a wall and it's going to be funny, however this is neither action nor comedy because the action isn't fun and the comedy is just dry.
No character development even though these characters connect instantaneously and that makes this movie better but not much.However there is an interesting back story/flashback when Bob remembers his time at High School conveniently he was very fat and when the bullies saw him again they were expecting him to turn out the way he did.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and the rest of the cast are having a great time in this buddy, espionage, action, comedy and so will you.
And, as a massive fan of 'Breaking Bad' I would have liked their representative to have been in it for little more than just his extended cameo.There's not that much more to say about 'Central Intelligence.' If you're looking for something funny, easy-going and you're a fan of either/both Dwayne Johnson or Kevin Hart then you're going to have a good time here.
Central Intelligence is clearly a comedy film which was intended to have box office success due to its leads of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart.
Central Intelligence sees a high school fat kid Rob Wierdich who is humiliated at his last day in school being transformed into muscular but timid Rob Stone (Dwayne Johnson) who is now a CIA operative.Twenty years later and with a high school reunion on the horizon Stone hooks up with Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) the star student known as the Golden Jet and the only one who came to Wierdich's aid.
For a comedian who has yet to show good form in feature films, Kevin Hart is certainly laughing all the way to the bank, as the hugely successful American stand-up comedy master has yet again with Central Intelligence hit pay dirt, even though his feature length material fails to add up to anything more than an experience that provides a few chuckles but missed the mark badly in concerns to story and hearty, memorable laughs.After big roles in films like Grudge Match, Ride Along, About Last Night, The Wedding Ringer, Get Hard and now this film, Hart is stringing together quite the list of mediocre films that have failed to capitalise on whatever charisma the performer seems to possess that has made him such a drawcard in the American marketplace.Whereas comedians turned movie stars like Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler found initial success in their transitions to the big screen, Hart is walking a tricky line of never achieving the success many of his counterparts have found with their films that still manage to entertain to this day and not even the teaming up with Dwayne Johnson here can bring out the laughs like it could've.No stranger to hitting comedy high notes and seemingly a fan of partnering with Hart (the two performers will next be seen together in the Jumanji remake), Johnson gets some easy laughs as high school fat kid turned Jason Bourne like super spy Bob Stone who reunites himself with Hart's one time High School kingpin turned sad-sack accountant Calvin Joyner but Dodgeball director Rawson Marshall Thurber never finds the right balance needed to make Central Intelligence truly take off and while the film even tries its hand at some uneasy action sequences, even at 100 minutes Central Intelligence feels like a joke that wears out fast, after the initial funnies of The Rock with a bum bag and unicorn t-shirt wears off.Appealing to the somewhat low common denominator that modern comedy audiences have sadly come to know and love, Central Intelligence isn't the worst comedy you'll watch this year but it's still a long way off being much more than a background diversion, future TV re-run big shot and another forgettable entry into the increasingly disappointing Kevin Hart feature film catalogue.2 Sixteen Candle screenings out of 5.
So this film opens up in 1996, when geeky, overweight high schooler Robbie Weirdicht (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) was a designated punching back for bullies at school as opposed to Calvin Joyner (played by Kevin Hart) who was a popular kid.
Reconnecting with a bully target from his high school days, a former prom king gets more than he bargained for as he finds out that overweight kid he once knew has transformed into a body-building rogue CIA agent in this action comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart.
Review: I must admit, I did have high hopes for this movie, mainly because the last couple of Kevin Hart movies did make me laugh but I did find a lot of the jokes in this film, quite weak and it was a bit weird watching Dwayne Johnson, make a fool out of himself.
At the end of the day, this is just light-hearted fun, that really isn't meant to be taken seriously but it does take some time to get used to watching the Rock, out of intelligent, super hero mode.Budget: $50million Worldwide Gross: $217millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their action/crime/comedies, starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Jason Bateman, Aaron Paul, Ryan Hanson and Tim Griffin.
On the screen those two just make a wonderful match, complimenting one another hilariously.The story in "Central Intelligence" was actually quite good, it offered comedy, action and actually also had something for you to think about throughout the movie.The acting talents in the movie were well cast, especially Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, both individually but also opposite one another.
In "Central Intelligence" Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) meets through Facebook an old high school companion Bob Stone (Dwayne Johnson).