Details from IMDB:
Central Intelligence
After he reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.
Initial Thoughts:
I have a list of comedy movies to watch on couples night but the interesting part is that this movie was initially not on the list. After an excellent episode of Geekshow After Party (exclusive to Pateron members like me!) this movie was recommended to me by Rob (thanks!) and after watching the preview (and the fact that I love Kevin Hart) we decided to give it a watch last night.
Main Points:
While I often enjoy R-rated comedies more, this one had some really funny parts. As Rob said it is nice to see Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson take on different roles, not just another version of “The Rock” is always a good change of pace. I think Dwayne is always much better when he’s reigned in a bit and plays a different character other than the usual Rock-like persona.
I thought this movie had some clever bits, I appreciated the pop culture references (especially the dated ones like honey badger!) and my wife particularly enjoyed the many references to the movie “Sixteen Candles”. I also quite enjoyed all the cameos, Jason Bateman in particular plays a real asshole and it was great to see Aaron Paul do some action scenes. The little adventures with short cameos reminded me of “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” but this was a better version! It has a couple of surprises but does turn into a more traditional buddy cop/action/comedy after the first act.
Final Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart both put in excellent performances and mostly carry the movie. I laughed and didn’t find it to be too long, that’s most of a good comedy for me. Watching Kevin Hart, I know really a stuntman, fail to do a standing flip not once but twice is really funny, something about watching a fall especially with no one hurt, you can’t help but laugh. A 7.5 out of 10 from me, just seeing the two of them together makes me laugh. I would recommend this for any couples night or for anyone who enjoys a mostly light-hearted comedy that does delve a little bit into bullying/high school/acceptance and friendship. Please don’t let your kids watch this, some mature content and brief nudity, ages 13+.