How entertaining? ★★☆☆☆
Thought provoking? ★★☆☆☆ 22 June 2016
A movie review of CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE. |
YouTube review:
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“I wish you were my son, if I was medically able to have children,” Principal Kent (Phil Reeves)
One surmises that in the era of Snowden and Wikileaks the espionage genre would find a resurgence. And the action-comedy element has not been left on the shelf. SPY and (THE BROTHERS) GRIMSBY are of recent note. Unfortunately, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE is not as funny as the former and not as riotously wrong as the latter. Chortles come regularly, but do not raise the roof. Here, the final result has the continual nagging feel of a first draft. Even the outtakes and goofs, during the end credits, are not particularly amusing, and counterproductively confirm the paucity of material.
One surmises that in the era of Snowden and Wikileaks the espionage genre would find a resurgence. And the action-comedy element has not been left on the shelf. SPY and (THE BROTHERS) GRIMSBY are of recent note. Unfortunately, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE is not as funny as the former and not as riotously wrong as the latter. Chortles come regularly, but do not raise the roof. Here, the final result has the continual nagging feel of a first draft. Even the outtakes and goofs, during the end credits, are not particularly amusing, and counterproductively confirm the paucity of material.
Two decades ago, during high school, Dwayne Johnson’s Robbie Weirdicht (really, that’s his character’s name, before changing it to Bob Stone) was obese and humiliated at a senior assembly. Present day, and the 20-year school reunion is imminent. Of course, there will be a comeuppance for the lead bully. The high school reunion (second) climax is no GROSSE POINTE BLANK. At one point confrontation comes earlier than predicted, and one actually hoped that the film would play with our expectations. Not to be. The ending is so neatly tied as to create a groan.
Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) was an all-star as a teenager and was voted most likely to succeed. Now, insecurity is bone-deep as he sits in an office as an accountant, passed over for promotion, worrying over his squandered potential. Accepting a Facebook friend request from Bob, who is into guns, cinnamon pancakes and unicorns, it turns out Stone works for the C.I.A. and, for some massively fudged explanation, requires Calvin’s help to save the world from American spy satellites falling into the wrong hands. The plot is a real let-down. TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY this is not. Calvin's involvement is so spurious. A slackly constructed odd couple adventure ensues, not fully utilising Kevin Hart and The Rock.
Fight sequences are fast edited and not entirely coherent, perhaps to keep the rating down? They are not particularly well choreographed either way. Contrast TRUE LIES and MR & MRS SMITH. Humour ranges from the puerile and obvious (The Rock wearing a bum-bag/fanny-pack – we geddit, it’s incongruous and refers back to his famous meme) to the enjoyable, especially with the movie references (“You’re like Jason Bourne in jorts.”).
The cameos though are a hoot.
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