Central Intelligence

Yet another odd-couple caper, this fast-paced (if also forgettable) tale revolves around male mid-life anxiety. Mild-mannered Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) is a disgruntled accountant who married his teenage sweetheart Maggie (Danielle Nicolet) but now yearns for the glory days when he was senior class president and the town's most popular jock. As his 20th high school anniversary looms, Calvin reconnects with Robbie Weirdicht (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), a shy, sensitive soul who is “super into unicorns” and remains grateful to Calvin for a singular act of kindness when he was the once-obese victim of cruel shower-room bullies. When Calvin and Robbie—now known as Bob Stone—meet for a drink, they reestablish their bond. But then a CIA bigwig (Amy Ryan) shows up at Calvin's house, telling him that Bob is actually a former undercover agent who has gone rogue after killing his partner. So, is Bob the good guy that Calvin remembers? Or has he gone to the dark side? Soon, hapless Calvin joins on-the-run Bob, becoming involved in a complex, high-stakes conspiracy. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, Central Intelligence capitalizes on the solid chemistry between Hart and Johnson, but the espionage plot is sloppy, forming the weakest link in this action comedy. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Rawson Marshall Thurber and editor Mike Sale, alternate scenes (18 min.), a gag reel (6 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Line-O-Rama” (3 min.) and “Dance Off” (3 min.), the brief “Couch Time Lapse” segment, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are unrated alternate scenes (70 min.), an unrated gag reel (6 min.), and the unrated “Line-O-Rama” (3 min.). Bottom line: a solid extras package for an unremarkable comedy.] (S. Granger)