Review of "Central Intelligence," DVD starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson

Review of

Central Intelligence, DVD starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson

Three out of five stars

 The plot of this movie has so many holes that it could not hold heavy gravel and the acting is at times poor and ham-like. Twenty years ago in high school, the Johnson character was overweight and bullied. As a prank, a group of boys pulled him naked from the shower and threw him onto the floor of the gym while a school assembly is taking place. The purpose of the assembly was to honor the Hart character, an overachiever that stars in sports, the classroom and in extra-curricular activities. It is the Hart character that comes to the aid of the Johnson character, giving him his jacket.

 It is now time for a reunion and the Hart character is now a forensic accountant living a rather dull life. The Johnson character is now “the Rock” and an effective agent for the CIA. In a well-worn plot device, the Johnson character is being falsely accused of being a traitor and forced to battle his fellow agents in an attempt to clear his name.

 Of course, the Johnson character seeks out the naive Hart character and requests (forces) his assistance. There are gun battles where no one is really hurt and many jokes and supposedly humorous situations where the events are completely predictable. The action barely reached the level of humorous when it managed to rise above the mundane. Johnson’s acting is often amateurish and weak, I often found myself wondering if this was one of his first roles, before he learned the craft.