Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson have found a spark in the buddy cop movie genre, and it’s grounded in one theme: being there for others.
Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) is the All-American high school athlete. He’s the popular kid on the block voted most likely to succeed his senior year. Bob Stone (Dwayne Johnson) is the complete opposite. He’s overweight, mocked, bullied and, as victim of the senior prank, is literally the “butt” of all the jokes.
20 years later, Calvin is seen dealing with issues that many adults deal with. Life has settled in, and he doesn’t see the positives. His life hasn’t gone in the direction he might have imagined back in high school. He was meant for greatness, but, now, he is the accountant for a firm with an inflatable monkey out front.
Calvin’s wife, Maggie (Danielle Nicolet), was his high school sweetheart and is considering going to couples counseling to fix their marriage. He almost resents his high school past because he didn’t meet expectations.
Bob is quite different. He has lost over 200 pounds thanks to “working out every day for six hours the past 20 years.” Oh, and surprise, he is in the CIA. However, even with his accomplishments, Bob is still dealing with the bullying he endured in high school.
Even after 20 years when Bob is faced with his high school bully, he is quiet. The trained assassin only sees his high school past in the mirror. He doesn’t understand who he is. So he seeks out the help of his only friend, Calvin, to help him.
Calvin simply gave Bob his jacket 20 years ago during the senior prank to help alleviate his embarrassment. It was a simple gesture that stuck with Bob for a lifetime. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber made it a point to illustrate how a simple gesture can impact someone’s life.
Bob has been telling everyone since that day how great of a guy Calvin is without Calvin knowing. Bob returns the favor by explaining to Calvin what a hero truly is, and how he can still be one to his wife, but most importantly, to himself. To Bob, Calvin is a hero.
Central Intelligence succeeds in its subtleties. The subtle moments where Bob is still struggling with his past bullying and where Calvin doubts his potential illustrate that no matter where one might be in life, one’s past does not dictate one’s future.
Many adults deal with life after high school. Central Intelligence gives hope to those bullied, mocked and laughed at during high school. To the ones whose high school career was not the time of their lives, the film offers hope that life can get better.
The buddy cop movie has been revived, and all it took was a little heart.
Photo courtesy of Allied Films