Central Intelligence captures strong chemistry; weak script

Plot Summary:
After he reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.

Everyone seems to have their own unique thoughts on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Some love him and some hate him. I, on the other hand, can't wrap my head around him, because I've seen him in a lot of different roles. That basically tells me that, as a wrestler, he's amazingly not type-casted - which should give some insight into his talent. That being said, I've seen him in great roles as well as the opposite - so where does Central Intelligence lie? Somewhere in the middle.

An okay story that more or less got what it sought.

I often review movies based off of what they were intentionally going for. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean it's bad...same goes vice versa. Central Intelligence seemed to have sought after cheap laughs and an okay story...which is more or less what they delivered. Because of that, my overall score was never going to be any less than 7. What gives a movie a higher grade is going above and beyond that expectation. Delivering things unexpected and just blowing people's minds. Once again, Central Intelligence delivered the expected and stayed in the safe zone throughout. 

It's a comedy that doesn't really deliver too many laughs. It doesn't do the opposite either. It maintains a steady level of neutral presentations. I felt as though I was just relaxing throughout the movie. I wasn't glad that I was watching, nor was I mad...just neutral. If there was a movie that can truly do mind control while the audience was brain dead...this might be it.

A little Hart and big Johnson

"...the chemistry they shared went beyond their characters and was instead found to be a far deeper bond between the actors."

You can't review this film without mentioning the chemistry seen between the two leads, Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. Before the film was even released, there was news that they would be working together on their next project - Jumanji - a sequel of sorts to the original film starring the late Robin Williams. This was huge news, given the fact that no one knew how this movie was going to do, nor how well these two would actually work together. Thankfully, I can say they really do work well together. Even when The Rock wasn't acting like his usual sense, the chemistry they shared went beyond their characters and was instead found to be a far deeper bond between the actors. No, they weren't always the funniest characters in the world, but I could have watched them interact with each other for hours, so they did have that going for them.

I also can't say this film had a lot of deep or meaningful moments, but they did have one. Dwayne Johnson's character became who he was in this film due to bullying, and there is a scene in the film where he comes face to face with his bully, and this big muscle-bound monster shrunk in his seat, powerless to the bully. It wasn't the most important scene or anything, but it accidentally showcased something powerful. For me, that will remain the most memorable scene in the entire flick. 

A run-of-the-mill modern comedy that is slightly special

Central Intelligence isn't the greatest comedy you'll see all year, but what saves it from being a disaster are the two leads, whom work rather well together each time they share a scene. It could have benefited from a stronger script, which might have made it one of the best comedies of the year...it was just missing the soul it truly needed. That being said, it's still okay, you're not going to hate it or anything. If you're a fan of the actors on screen, don't hesitate to check this out!