It takes a small Hart and a big Johnson to save the world in a deadly mission, at the helm of “Central Intelligence”. Critically acclaimed jokester director Rawson Marshall Thurber helms this comedy free-for-all that revolves around a one-time bullied geek, Bob (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), who grew up to be a big-muscled, lethal CIA agent, coming home for his ten-year high school reunion. Claiming to be on a top-secret case, he enlists the help of former “big man on campus,” Calvin (Kevin Hart), now an accountant who misses his glory days of ruling the roost. But before the staid numbers-cruncher realizes what he’s getting into, it’s too late to get out, as his increasingly unpredictable new friend and classmate drags him through a world of shoot-outs, double-crosses and espionage that could get them both killed in more ways than Calvin can count. The tables are completely turned from their high school days, and now they must rely on each other to save the day and come out alive. “Central Intelligence” is rated PG-13 for crude humor, brief nudity, action violence and moments of strong language.

“Central Intelligence” prides itself as a 90’s flashback filled with an entire soundtrack of decade appropriate music, as well as sayings and cliches that resided for such a time. This stance on the overall creative for a movie that is 102 minutes long does get a little draining and repetitive at times, but there are certainly worse ways that you could spend an evening in front of the tube or at the theater. Thurber’s film is a feel good film, plain and simple. In addition to a series of well-timed celebrity cameos (The final one being the most surprising), the film drives itself a little further in its re-heated plot and setup with two very charming leading performances from Johnson and Hart. The problem is more in the material that they are served up. This film would be much more intriguing and delivering to the no-apologies duo if this film was rated R. I’ve said this more than once about Kevin Hart films, and this is probably the strongest example of a movie that feels hindered by its rating, and really left me wondering what could’ve been if these two were able to take off the restricting cuffs and improv their way through some of the clumsy scenes in the film.

On the subject of this dream team-up, everyone was led into this film because of the chance to see two of the most charismatic stars working today, and the hardest aspect of writing for screenwriters Ike Barinholtz (Yes, the “Neighbors” star himself) and Thurber is developing a script that matches up to the greatness of two such personalities. In the past we have gotten dream match ups like Will Ferrell and Zach Galifanakis in “The Campaign” or Ben Stiller and Jack Black in “Envy”. Two films who didn’t live up to quite the level of material that the cast deserved, and sadly “Central Intelligence” is in the same field, albeit with a few more laughs in quick-witted humor. There were some genuine indulging scenes here that really opened up a funny muscle or two in my system, and viewers will find more than one scene where the surprising shock factor in just how far The Rock will go to appeal to his audience makes its presence felt. What disappointed me was just how uneven this film feels from its comical roots to how the film ends as a genuine action shoot-em-up. The second half has some heart for its character pieces, but the real meat of this story depends on our laughter, as it’s the real reason why we are here, and unfortunately that is something that is best within the first hour of the movie. While there is nothing that I am going to remember in laughs years down the road, I didn’t have the most fun when everything felt laid back and not as serious to present an obstacle for our protagonists. The script isn’t smart enough to make the most of its dazzling pairing, and leaves the material being stretched and starved for a smile during several dry spots.

As for the technical aspects for the movie, they could’ve been better. The imposing of Johnson’s face on the fat body that you see in the trailers feels very much as outdated as its 90’s influence. You can really see the cracks in the edging of this technology, and I don’t mean the crack on the posterior of our main star….SICKOS. There is also multiple flipping scenes where Hart completes the feat. This definitely deserved some more time on the animation for the stunt, as you can nearly see the wires on the stunt double for each scene. Terribly translucent. The action for the movie is surprisingly positive for the duration of some pretty lengthy sequences. The fight choreography looked and felt believable, mainly because you have an actor like Johnson who knows what goes into ring psychology and registering every hit so that it makes the most logical of reactions. No sequence goes on for too long, and the reaction of Hart is always there to push the envelope and remind viewers that this is first and foremost a comedy.

I’m going to go ahead and throw it out there: Without The Rock, this film simply doesn’t interest me in the slightest. As far as versatility goes, this is one of Johnson’s best performances today. As Robbie, we feel so much sadness and heartbreak from such a gentle giant. Johnson plays Robbie as a teenager stuck in a 38-year-olds body, and I’ll be damned if his performance didn’t make me a believer. I found myself laughing with him instead of at him, and Johnson is probably the only actor going today who could make me feel great empathy for a 6’6 300Lb man. If you can get over the fact that he grew over a foot since high school, then his casting will present itself as the most valuable aspect of the movie. Kevin Hart gets his comedic chops in as well, but one thing that was refreshing about his turn as Calvin is that he has to mostly play the straight man to Johnson’s mayhem. Hart’s laughs are more appropriately timed out in reactional humor, and it proves that he doesn’t always have to be front and center to make his presence felt.

Rawson Marshall Thurber’s “Central Intelligence” is the very definition of Summer popcorn flick. Double the fun even if there is very little intelligence to this presentation. What Central Intelligence lacks in originality or visual finesse, it more than makes up for in personality, steaming along on the beat-by-beat comic rapport between Johnson and Hart that is irresistible to fans of the buddy-cop genre.

6/10