Dwayne Johnson is in absolutely everything these days. From the Fast and Furious movies to Disney's Moana, it's hard to escape him when it comes to the film industry, and there's an easy reason for that – under the large muscle-bound shell that surrounds him is a charming person who comes across as a nice guy. And that appears to be what the promotional material for Central Intelligence is hoping to cash in on for this spy romp which co-stars overly-prominent "funny man" Kevin Hart does his typical spiel all over again. With Johnson seemingly being a draw these days (last year's San Andreas was a surprise hit) and Hart having his own set of die-hard fans, combining the two is a fine way for the studios to make easy dollar...if not for the fact that it came out in the US against Finding Dory. Ouch. But I digress – can the odd couple make for an entertaining film? And will the comedy actually make people laugh, or will it make me dead inside again (looking at you, Grimsby)?
Back in 1996, Calvin Joyner (Hart) was the bee's knees. Student President multiple times and the leader of numerous bodies, upon the final days of high school he's gifted the prestigious "Most Likely to Succeed" award by the principal. Midway through his celebratory speech, however, a bunch of bullies throws the naked overweight loser Robbie Weirdicht (Johnson's face on Sione Kelepi's body) right into the middle of the ceremony. Being the perfect snowflake he is, Joyner is the only one to help Weirdicht in the situation, who skulks away and is never heard from again. 20 years later, and Joyner is now stuck in a dead-end job and slight marital problems to his high-school sweetheart (Danielle Nicolet), with no desire to attend the high school reunion planned for the coming Friday. And when he receives a Facebook friend request from a 'Bob Stone', he's surprised to discover upon meeting that Weirdicht has turned from flabby failure to a living Hercules (with a penchant for unicorns and Sixteen Candles). But following a surprise run-in with the CIA, Joyner discovers that not only is Stone an agent but that he's wormed his sole high school ally into helping him unearth a conspiracy that's against the agency's wishes.
Let's get one thing clear here – despite a fairly simple set-up which comes across with ease, the film takes a bit of a nose-dive by attempting to build numerous twists and turns which instead hinder the film into becoming something rather incoherent. Considering the pedigree of those being the screenwriting and directing processes, it may have been a wiser move to tell a straight-forward story around the basic idea of Hart and Johnson being a kick-ass double act instead of the conspiracy angle. Granted, it would leave a barely-existent movie which, while funnier and much more tolerable than its closest comparison Grimsby, only would have the one big joke, but with the mystery angle being so unnecessarily convoluted and filled with double and triple crosses it loses its comedic footing and decides it wants to take itself seriously for a little while – which in turn turns into the film's biggest stumbling point. The story can either simple and rely on the chemistry between its two leads or a seriously dull mystery about allegiances. Not both.
As for the comedy itself, it's very standard stuff. While there's much less of the typical Hart screaming than one would expect from the trailers (thank god), the jokes mostly stem from Dwayne Johnson's wide-eyed performance and delivery of his lines – a brief deviation from the main story involving the duo at a couple's therapy garners the most laughs because of Johnson – and the standard reactions to the regular joe not wanting any part of it. For the most part, it does work; the jokes are consistent, and while they didn't make me personally laugh they were at least appreciated for some of the effort placed. But then it turns into some of the more immature fare which is when one would be turned off from it.
But yes, onto Hart and Johnson themselves – the two of them do work really well together. Despite the conflicting personalities present and the obvious height differences, it's strongly evident the duo are enjoying every moment of being together with each scene. Obviously, The Rock himself is the better of the two thanks largely to his childish but endearing performance – a big muscular teddy bear, if you will – but Kevin Hart does surprisingly well too, even if his character can be a tad irritating with his constant allegiance changes. Nicolet as his other half is your typical loving wife character but she does a fine enough performance; Amy Ryan makes for an intimidating if not bland CIA Agent, as does Timothy John Smith; Aaron Paul as Bob's former partner is a mixed bag throughout the film; and surprise appearances from the likes of Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, and Kumail Nanjiani are nothing new for any of them (side note: can we stop casting Nanjiani in partially racist roles? Because this and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates show signs that he needs a new agent).
Director Rawson Marshall Thurber isn't exactly new to the comedy genre, so by now he has a good idea of how to go about with his actors and crew. And his direction for his actors is fine enough to warrant a 'Good Job' sticker. With action, on the other hand, he starts to lose his grip on it all as he falls for the incoherent shaky cam technique. An extensive shootout in both Joyner's office building and within the CIA premises leads to some shots being hard to see properly, and in turn difficult to digest the 12A-rated violence.
Central Intelligence may be lacking in its screenplay, some of its comedy, and in its generic 12A-rated action, but at least it has a promising comedic duo at the heart of it in the form of Johnson and Hart. If the film was a little bolder in its approach and aimed for a 15 certificate, maybe it would have drawn out better delivery in these fields, but for what it is, it's a slightly funny comedy with slightly-fun action and a rather sloppy screenplay. 4/10.
Every year, the UK film industry usually releases a great set of films for the world to see, with plenty receiving awards recognition when the season arises. And then there's the seemingly-obligatory TV show spin-off film that seems to never go down overly well. Keith Lemon, The Inbetweeners, Bad Education, Dad's Army... few have actually been any good; with some even being considered dire. And yet, they just keep on coming, and next into the fray are British TV icons Patsy and Edina – who first jumped onto the small screen in 1992 and have since appeared in a number of spin-off and one-off specials, despite it being over 20 years since the original series concluded. With the film constantly announced to be in the works and seemingly taking years to get done, the duo efforts of Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders have at long last made their way to the big screen – but is it too late to walk the catwalk?
When we first come across the classic comic characters, it appears that they're suffering from a number of issues. Edina Monsoon (Saunders) is having problems with her financial stability – not helped by a failed attempt at a book deal – and PR competition in the form of Celia Imrie's Claudia Bing, whilst the growing fears about their age brings about the worst in them. But when Patsy (Lumley) discovers that high-class model Kate Moss has recently sacked her own PR spokesperson, this seems like the perfect moment for Eddy to get back on track. One slight glitch though: upon attempting to speak to her she inexplicably pushes her into the Thames, which she seemingly doesn't appear to arise from. With the fashion world in a state of anguish and hatred for poor Eddy, she and Patsy come up with a dashing scheme to escape from the hatred and the police – head off to France and find a way to make some easy money.
Yep, much like plenty of other British TV adaptations, the cast are off abroad for a bit of a summer treat. Granted, it feels more like it's part of an actual overarching story by comparison, and it takes its time before finally catching the plane to sunny Cannes, but it still feels a bit like a holiday film rather than a film in its own right. But for a film based on a comedy series filmed in front of a live studio audience, it at least shows them being a bit more free with their expanded surroundings. And whilst the story isn't all that exciting nor filled with many laughs (the near-packed audience around me were sat mostly in silence), it is at least better than its lacking contemporaries. And with its extreme star power in the form of countless upon countless cameo appearances, it just shows how much love the show has to garner this production.
But like I said, it's a comedy with very few laughs. It's not that it doesn't try, but it's that it perhaps tries too hard to gain as many laughs as it can, but instead injures itself and makes each joke feel a tad lame. That's not to say that it's a film consumed by a silent viewing, for occasionally you'll get something that's slightly funny, but the whole thing instead relies on its two leads instead of the supposedly witty screenplay by Saunders.
On the plus side, the film does showcase just how well Lumley and Saunders are together, as the two can be an utter delight. Their characters never get irritating despite their detestable nature, and while the film barely manages to get these characters to learn anything from what happens by the time it draws to a close – more re-setting the status quo with a few minor differences – they sell the cop-out rather well. Julia Sawalha as Eddy's no-nonsense daughter is your typical straight-faced figure, while newbie Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness succeeds into the stereotypical teenage girl role; Robert Webb does offer some amusement as Sawalha's love interest/police inspector; June Whitfield is a delight as always; Jane Horrocks is bizarre as Eddy's assistant Bubbles (a likely explanation in the series, probably, but strange for newcomers); Chris Colfer is your typical gay caricature; and extended appearances from Emma Bunton and Lulu are surprisingly fun. And then come the countless cameos which all vary in quality and/or necessity.
As the film's credits roll, it's upon first glance that one may notice a few elements which were cut from the final film, which may explain the film's overall quality. As far as TV adaptations are concerned, it's a fine enough continuation but one that perhaps isn't all that vital, whilst newbie viewers will find maybe just a few things to truly like. The comedy is mixed, the performances good enough... it's more of a passion project for its two leads where they can finally stretch their legs past the limitations of staged comedy to something a little more substantial if a little lacking in any actual heart nor focus. 4/10.
