SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (2016)

Hey, everybody! It’s time for another new movie review.

Y’know, one of the nice things about being a part-time independent film critic is that I can be incredibly selective with what I want see in the theater and review afterwards. I bring this up because I want you guys to know that I had a motive for reviewing Central Intelligence instead of Finding Dory. Here’s the thing: Finding Dory is pretty much getting praised across the board. Kids and grown millennials alike are lining up in droves to see it. I’m sure it’s gonna be one of the biggest movies of this year…which is why I’m not gonna review it just yet. Maybe it’s the nonconformist in me, but I’m not a huge fan of watching a film when it’s being hyped up like mad because extreme hype has ruined past film experiences for me. So, I’m gonna wait till Finding Dory comes to DVD, then I’ll watch and review it (if I’m still doing this blog, that is). So, I decided to watch and review Central Intelligence.

Our story: Kevin Hart plays Calvin Joyner, formerly the Big Man on Campus in high school, who is now an underappreciated accountant who is having some relationship problems with his wife, Maggie (Danielle Nicolet). His life is changed when an old classmate named Bob Stone (Dwayne Johnson) – who was the most unpopular character in the school – comes to town and later reveals that he is an agent for the CIA. Stone apparently needs Joyner’s accounting prowess in order to help stop an international exchange of illegal means. There are double crosses, shootouts, and all that good stuff you expect from an action movie.

Now, I’m gonna get into the cons of this film. If you’re not a huge fan of “what you see is what you get” films, then this will annoy the crap out of you. It is a little on the predictable side and doesn’t pull any huge surprises with the plot (save for a couple of plot twists that actually kinda surprised me). Fortunately, anybody who knows me understands that clichés don’t really bother me. If the actors and the filmmaker really believe in them and put their heart and soul into them, then I can’t really complain. And I feel like everybody involved put their heart and soul into it. However, I can totally understand how this may ruin a film for some people. Plus, there are some plot threads that could have been explored a little more (particularly the relatioinship between Maggie and Calvin), and some jokes that go on a little too long.

But if you can get past those problems (and again, I understand if you can’t), there’s a lot of fun to be had with this movie. The action is enjoyable, the jokes that work are very hilarious, and the musical score by Theodore Shapiro and Ludwig Goransson does what it needs to do. The strongest element this film has going for it is the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. Kevin Hart does a great job at playing something of a squeamish straight-man to Dwayne Johnson’s tough-but-quirky CIA character. And their chemistry works like gangbusters because of the dynamic clash between these two incredibly different personalities.

Another element that I really liked is the surprise cameos throughout the majority of the film. Without giving them away, these are three actors that are used to great comic effect (in fact, a few of the film’s funniest moments come from these cameos). In fact, I was impressed as to how funny, mean, and even heartfelt these cameos were, and they demonstrated to me how to use a cameo as more than just a way to get in a name actor.

Now, just from that summation, you’re probably thinking that this film is just a funny-but-ultimately-forgettable comedy, right? Well, there is one subtextual message that had personal relevance to me.

Dwayne Johnson’s character in the film was very overweight, wore braces, etc. in high school. Basically, the nerd stereotype. And Kevin Hart’s character, like I said, was the Big Man on Campus. He was the Student Body President, Head of the Chess Club, and was the guy everybody loved. Basically, the stereotypical popular guy. But as they grew up and graduated college, Johnson’s character lost the weight, bulked up, and became a respected member of one of the top agencies in the country. This is not to say that Kevin Hart’s character didn’t achieve success, but Johnson’s arc just connected more with me the more and more I thought it over. And this is where I’m gonna get a little personal, guys, so if you don’t like that kinda stuff, stop reading.

Throughout my high school years, I was not one of the more popular kids. Now, don’t misunderstand me; I was never bullied by anybody. But, I spent most of my time by myself and didn’t really connect well with the world around me. However, I had a lot of talents, including music and occasionally writing. But, that still didn’t gain me a lot of friends.

I still have the same situation now that I’m entering my third year of college. Sure, I have a few more friends now and I’m a little more knowledgeable on how to deal with the world around me. But, I’m still not what you would call popular. And unfortunately, I’ve been letting that fact stop me from achieving my fullest potential, despite the pleas of everyone – especially my dad – telling me that I should just keep going on. But this film showed me that I shouldn’t let neither high school nor my early years of college define what I’m going to be. And I understand that a dweeby overweight kid becoming someone who looks like…well, Dwayne Johnson, was meant as a joke. But to me, it drives home what everybody's been telling me: don’t let your environment define you. And that is why, in this critic’s opinion, this film has a little more to it than just being an entertaining buddy-cop comedy (or buddy-CIA comedy, rather).

Bottom Line: Give this movie a watch. I’d say it all comes down to preference. If you’re not really a fan of the buddy cop clichés, then this isn’t the film for you. However, if you’re looking for a fun time at the movies with a good solid buddy-buddy dichotomy and a deep, emotional subtext, check it out. You’ll definitely get what you’re looking for.

And that's my opinion on Central Intelligence! Stay tuned for more to come in the next few days!