Saving the world takes a little Hart and a big Johnson. So starts one of the funnier taglines to one of the funnier films I've seen for awhile. Continuing the big/small sight gag of Laurel and Hardy all the way to to Twins, Central Intelligence is a kind of childish, but very fun movie. Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson (if you don't know who plays who, I can't help you) add a considerable dose of charm and charisma to the well-worn trope to lift this film from the doldrums of "I've seen this before" to a relatively charming and genuinely fun movie. The movie works well because of their winning charm and their chemistry, and would not have worked with, say, The Undertaker and Johnny Galecki.
Hart plays Calvin Joyner, a once-popular guy from high-school who is a mild-mannered accountant in a dead-end job. He gets a Facebook Friend request from Bob Stone (Johnson), a guy who says he knew him back in high school. When they meet, Joyner doesn't recognize Stone at first because Stone used to be very fat and is now a muscle-bound monster with the demeanor of an awe-struck fan. Through a series of adventures, Joyner ends up in the middle of a case of international intrigue as Stone is part of the CIA. But all may not be what it appears as other CIA agents show up and tell Joyner that Stone is a dangerous rogue psychopath and a traitor.
This is one of those movies you have to turn your brain off and just go with it. I have loved Johnson's gallery of interesting and quirky performances from his first role as The Scorpion King to the gay club bouncer in Get Cool, to the naive but incredibly dangerous bodybuilder in Pain and Gain. He is this generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger, with simultaneous self-aware/deprecating humor and demeanor, not to mention charisma oozing out of every pore. The guy is movie magic and is always a blast to watch. On top of that, he eschews most of the roles you'd expect he would take for quirkier or funnier fare, which more often than not, really works for him. Add to that Kevin Hart, the next Chris Tucker rapid-fire delivery guy (but who still manages to stay funny), you have two very likable and very funny talents coming together in a perfect storm of comedy. Is it deep or sublime? Not really, but it is still a lot of fun to watch. I'd like to see these guys do another buddy-type flick. I think it has staying power.
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