Would be funnier if Hart was in a Baby Bjorn.
Two young men at opposite ends of the social ladder. Young Robbie was a chubby (OK fat) geek humiliated in the worst possible way at the conclusion of his education. Calvin was the revered Most Likely to Succeed, beloved by his classmates and granted the responsibility of the frankly cringe inducing ‘Golden Jet’ nickname. He even had the custom made jacket
But that was then… Even Golden Jets cannot afford to be complacent. With the 20 year school reunion looming, Calvin (Kevin Hart) is a mere accountant leading a humdrum life – though in fairness he did marry his high school sweetheart – and unbeknownst to all Robbie is now a super buff, super handsome, super charismatic super spy. Well he’s The Rock isn’t he?
And the rest of the movie teams Rock-Robbie and the *ugh* former Golden Jet together to attempt to generate comedy from the unlikely man thrust into a pressure situation. Like Spy. Like I-Spy. Like The Man Who Knew Too Little. Like every Will Ferrell movie ever…
Yet again Kevin Hart underwhelms and settles for a series of eyebrow furrows and grimaces. He is the straight man who has fooled an entire industry into thinking he is the funny one, despite all evidence to the contrary. At least The Rock throws himself into every scene with abandon, once again proving himself an adept comedic actor.
The Rock knows he is fortunate to have shot at assuming the mantle left by Schwarzenegger’s fading to a muscly shadow. He tries for – and sometimes gets – the laughs. Kevin Hart is lazily settling into bare minimum roles like this. He doesn’t try – and of course doesn’t earn – nary a chuckle.
There is nothing overtly heinous nor meritorious about anything in Central Intelligence. It is extremely non-extreme in every way. That isn’t good of course – and shouldn’t be bad – but given the recent trail of such bland films, I find this continued mediocrity offensively inoffensive.
Won’t someone take a chance at making something another Superbad instead of settling for so much more SuperBland
Final Rating – 6 / 10. The sooner we can find out who is buying all of these tickets to Kevin Hart films, the sooner we can ask them why.
