(Dir. Dawson Marshall Thurber 2016) Rated PG-13, I think this might be skating right under an R-rating though. Central Intelligence is a classic buddy cop film, except one of the buddies is not exactly a willing participant. Calvin "Golden Jet" Joyner was the It man who peaked in high school and now lives the droll life of an accountant. Bob Stone, now a lethal CIA agent, was bullied in high school and saw Calvin as his only friend. On the eve of their high school reunion Bob suddenly reappears in Calvin's life and pulls him kicking and screaming into a thrilling adventure. In terms of plot, this film was solid. It didn't have any glaring plot holes, of course Bob and Calvin magically avoided getting hit with any of the million bullets shot at them, but I've made my peace with that. Everything was foreshadowed nicely, and the film kept you guessing on who the real bad guy was the whole time. The filming style was basic, it didn't try anything ambitious, the cuts and shots were designed to make you forget you were watching a film. Which is typical for this type of film, and I didn't really mind. They only thing that bugged me a little was the CGI they used to put the Rock's face on an obese body for his high school self. It looked so fake, like a bad photoshop. I am not mad at this film, I had a good time watching it. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart had good chemistry during this film, plus I'm a sucker for pretty much anything with the Rock in it. Gotta love him. The dialogue was very snappy and hilarious. Calvin reacts the same way I would expect an actual person to if they were dragged into a situation like this. Besides action and the hilarity of the film, it actually delves into the character's emotions quite a bit too. They explore the effect being bullied in high school has had on Bob and how peaking in high school has affected Calvin. Calvin and Bob talk about these issues throughout the film help each other overcome them. What I really appreciate about this film is how it never once takes on the macho tone where men act like it's a good thing to ignore their feelings and lash out. Calvin and his wife go to therapy when they're worried about their marriage and Calvin is constantly trying to help Bob work through his bottled up issues. If you're looking for a film to enjoy and make you laugh this is a good choice.
1 Comment
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Aubrey KirchhoffI'm just screaming into the void and somehow getting graded on it. Archives
April 2018
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