Sizing Up This Comedy

Metro-061716-TrailerReview

‘CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE’ TRAILER REVIEW BY METRO CREW

High school nerd turned CIA agent Bob Stone (Dwayne Johnson) seeks help from an old friend, former basketball star Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart), now an accountant, on his latest mission. The plot sounds all-too-familiar, but we’re hopeful that the Johnson-Hart pairing can carry the film. OK, mostly The Rock will carry the film, probably. We’re not sure why, but we really like The Rock. Central Intelligence opens in wide release June 17.

JAIMIE: I very much enjoyed watching that trailer. I have no f’ing idea why, but I’ve decided recently that The Rock is not that bad. There’s something very self-deprecating about everything that he does that is likable and endearing. Even though he is a giant. Plus, he like, bought his mom a Cadillac and made her cry and that must mean he is as likable as he seems, right?

CHRISTINA: I also find The Rock inexplicably endearing. Although, I am not really impressed that he bought his mom a car. I mean, that’s cool and everything. But isn’t he rich? Couldn’t he buy her like, 10 mansions? Even though he is usually beating people up in his movies, he seems like a gentle giant.

NICOLE: I like The Rock in funny movies. He’s a little too intense in action films — although I do really like the Furious franchise and Pain and Gain.

PAIGE: Kevin Hart is cool and all, but I feel like his whole shtick is lately just him being a very short, high-tension black man. That is the nucleus of all his comedy. Pairing him here with the massively sized, mellow Rock quadruples that effect. I can see why the movie will (probably) be a success just based off that easy bromance dynamic. Even if the movie just spends all of its time making short jokes. Actually, I wasn’t really feeling any of the actual jokes in the trailer, outside of the physical comedy. Hmm. I am feeling less confident about this movie’s chances.

CHRISTINA: All of the jokes do seem to be size-based. Their whole tagline is something about needing “a little Hart and a big Johnson.” I wouldn’t be surprised if they cast these two in this movie solely so they could say that.

JAIMIE: As a whole, the trailer felt very 21 Jump Street to me — in a good way. But it almost has that same setup: One person was cooler than the other in high school and later in life, they become best friends. It’s a kind of tired formula, but I can’t say I hate it when it works out so well. The jury is still out on whether or not I will be able to tolerate Kevin Hart, but the focus here seems to be mostly on The Rock, and I can get behind that. God, who knew that one day I’d be waxing poetic about The Rock.