This was not at all what I expected from the previews and what I know of Kevin Hart films, and that turned out to be a great thing! Central Intelligence was a hilarious surprise! Perhaps this is less surprising when you realize 2 of the 3 screenplay writers also write for The Mindy Project, David Stassen and Ike Barinholtz (who also plays Morgan Tookers on The Mindy Project).
So what made Central Intelligence different from say Ride Along? Kevin Hart plays Calvin Joyner as an overall serious character who gives you just enough of that over the top Kevin Hart by limiting it to when he's in nerve-wrecking situations. Perhaps this balance was called for, because Joyner is an accountant. Whatever the reason, the balance was just right. Another difference is that the sillier character is actually Hart's counterpart this time, Bob Stone (Dwayne Johnson). The once overweight, bullied Stone is now a jacked up CIA agent who seems to be genuinely nice and genuinely stuck in the 90's, fanny pack included! I can't decide if he's stuck in the 90's because he's never gotten over his teenage years when he was bullied, because he's attempting to live out the 90's again with his new body and confidence, or because prior to reuniting with Joyner he didn't have any friends to introduce him to 2016 (and yes, he does not have any other friends or family besides Joyner, despite the pair not having talked for 20 years, Stone had Joyner as his emergency contact with the CIA).
The plot was also unexpected, because the previews made it seem like Hart would be following Johnson around attempting to be a CIA agent like Johnson, while ultimately just being in the way. In other words, the preview made it seem like Ride Along's cousin. Which is probably why I was in no rush to see it in the first place. However, that is not at all what the film was about. Quite to the contrary, Hart's character, Calvin, was actually trying to stay out of the CIA mess. And it was Stone forcing Calvin into the CIA mess and keeping him in the middle of it. And it wasn't about the pair trying to go after a criminal, rather it was a plot about Stone either trying to get away with a crime or find the real criminal. A bit confusing in words, but it definitely makes for a good and unexpected plot full of twists! The plot did an especially good job of keeping you on your toes as the film began to reveal just who the bad guy was. I'm typically good at spotting the bad guy disguised as a good guy, but the film did an excellent job of fooling the audience throughout the final scenes.
The film had the perfect balance between comedy and action, with some pretty action-packed shoot out scenes. In addition, the story line did an admirable job of showing how bullying is not just bad during school years, but how it can also stay with a victim well into their adulthood even if they've overcome the very thing that caused them to be bullied during school.
Overall, I loved Central Intelligence and hope there will be a sequel (it's the least Hollywood can do after giving us a Ride Along 2...though just to be fair I still haven't seen it, but the first one was a complete let down). Absolutely loved Central Intelligence!!