From just the tagline of “Saving the world takes a little Hart and a big Johnson”, Central Intelligence could’ve been a fun, if not throwaway, comedy but with very few laughs despite the ernest attempts by Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson, the film just did not work.
Central Intelligence
(2016)
Genre(s): Comedy, Action
Warner Bros. | PG13/Unrated – 107 min. / 116 min. – $44.95 | September 27, 2016
Date Published: 10/08/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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Click Here to Purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon.com
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 2.5/5 |
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Note: This review contains some SPOILERS concerning the plot… Buddy movies are nothing new with perhaps Lethal Weapon being the gold standard. Central Intelligence is a movie I’ve been looking forward to and one of the non-superhero film I made a mental note of for the summer. It appeared to be a no-brainer. The 6’4” Dwayne Johnson teaming up with the 5’4” Kevin Hart. Just the appearances are funny and add in the tagline “Saving the world takes a little Hart and a big Johnson” and it should’ve been comedy gold. Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve.
The film open 20 years ago in 1996 (do I feel old typing that) when an obese Bob Stone (DWAYNE JOHNSON) or Robbie Weirdicht as he was known then, is publicly humiliated by the high school bully in front of the entire student body. Calvin Joyner, just receiving an award, is the most popular kid in school who saves him. In the present, Calvin, who was voted most likely to succeed, is stuck in a dead-end job, in which he was passed over for a guy who once was his assistant, is contacted through Facebook by Bob inviting for a drink. That night, they meet up with Calvin surprised at how good shape Bob is, kind of resembling The Rock, and the pair reminisce about the old days. The two seem to get along and Bob asks Calvin for his services as a forensic accountant and that when the s*** hits the fan. The following morning, with Bob staying overnight, Calvin receives a visit from CIA Agent Pamela Harris (AMY RYAN) who informs him that Bob Stone is a rogue agent in possession of nuclear launch codes he intends to sell on the black market.
So basically, Calvin gets roped into the field of international espionage and a situation where he’s not sure who to believe, that Bob is a traitor who killed his partner (AARON PAUL) or if he’s being set up. However, with Dwayne Johnson in a comedy like this, I think we know the answer (though in Get Smart he did play a funny villain so…). Oh, and Jason Bateman makes an appearance as the school bully grown up, perhaps playing an extension of his character from The Gift. I have to admit, I was sorely disappointed in Central Intelligence. The ingredients seemed to be there from two talented leads in Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart (just the sight of the two earned a chuckle) and with Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball) at the helm, this film should’ve been funnier and instead we get muddled, half-baked script and plot, absolutely zero surprises and even the comedy was forced and/or strained. Glover/Gibson in Lethal Weapon, they are not.
In the end, I can’t quite say Central Intelligence is an awful film or anything but with only a few laughs here and there and a movie that didn’t know how to end, with a reunion sequence that didn’t deliver on any level, it is absolutely forgettable unfortunately. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.75/5 |
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This 2-disc release comes with semi-glossy slip cover. Inside is a Digital HD Copy redemption code. As always, all of these features are on the Blu-ray disc. Audio Commentary – Co-Writer/Director Rawson Marshall Thurber and Editor Mike Sale offer a light-hearted but informative track for both the rated and unrated cuts. Alternate Scenes Rated (18:07; HD) – There are 10 scenes included that has some more character development but wouldn’t have helped the movie all that much. Alternate Scenes Unrated (1:09:51; HD) – Wow, had to double check the time but yeah, there’s over an hour worth of material. Again, nothing amazing but interesting to watch nonetheless. There are 8 additional scenes on top of the rated ones. Line-O-Rama Rated (2:27; HD) is your typical slew of lines from the actors. Never have been very funny… Line-O-Rama Unrated (2:31; HD) – Not sure why there even is a rated and unrated version for this. Dance Off (2:26; HD) is a visual effects/final comparison of a young actor named Sione Kelepi who doubled for fat Dwayne Johnson in the shower. Gag Reel Rated (5:38; HD) Gag Reel Unrated (6:18; HD) Couch Time Lapse (0:41; HD) looks at the process of a steadicam shot for the couch scene and how it went from messy to clean with no cuts. |
4K UHD VIDEO — 4.5/5, BD VIDEO — 4.25/5
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| Central Intelligence gets the 4K treatment and while there’s nothing wrong with the 2160p ultra-high definition transfer, it doesn’t exactly have the pizzazz one would expect and is only moderately better than its Blu-ray counterpart. Where it does excel, detail is sharp and colors are bright in keeping with the comedic tone.
The Blu-ray transfer, shown in the film’s original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio, is presented in 1080p high-def and honestly, doesn’t look half bad. As with the UHD, colors are generally bright and detail fairly sharp and well defined. It’s not exactly reference quality work (neither the UHD or BD transfers are), but it’s more than satisfying for the type of movie this is. |
AUDIO – 4.5/5 |
| Both the UHD and BD comes with the standard but effective DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which especially shows off when the action kicks into high gear, showcasing the center, front and rear channels equally well with nice depth while the center channel also is reserved for crisp and clean dialogue. Again, nothing extraordinary but all things considered, it’s certainly an above average track. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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Overall, from just the tagline of “Saving the world takes a little Hart and a big Johnson”, Central Intelligence could’ve been a fun, if not throwaway, comedy but with very few laughs despite the ernest attempts by Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson, the film just did not work, so it’s is throwaway material but utterly forgettable as well. The UHD released by Warner does offer great video/audio transfers and a respectable selection of bonus material. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.