Central Intelligence

Last updated

Central Intelligence
CentralIntelligencePoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Ike Barinholtz
  • David Stassen
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Barry Peterson
Edited by
  • Mike Sale
  • Brian Olds
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
Running time
108 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million [2]
Box office$217 million [3]

Central Intelligence is a 2016 American buddy action comedy film directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and written by Thurber, Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart as two old high school classmates who go on the run after one of them joins the CIA to save the world from a terrorist who intends to sell satellite codes.

Contents

The film premiered in Los Angeles on June 10, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 17, 2016. Central Intelligence received praise from critics for Johnson and Hart's performances but criticism for the script, and was commercially successful, grossing over $217 million worldwide against its $60 million budget. [4]

Plot

In 1996, star athlete Calvin "The Golden Jet" Joyner is being honored at his school, Central High. Halfway through his speech, a group of bullies led by Trevor Olson throws the morbidly obese nerd Robbie Weirdicht (who was taking a shower and dancing happily to "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" on a radio in the boys’ locker room) naked into the gymnasium in the middle of an assembly. Everyone starts laughing except for Joyner and his girlfriend, Maggie Johnson, who are the only ones sympathetic towards Weirdicht; the former even going as far as to quickly cover him with his varsity jacket in a moment of compassion. He thanks Joyner and flees in humiliation and embarrassment.

Twenty years later, Joyner is married to Maggie and works as a forensic accountant, but is dissatisfied with his career. She suggests they see a therapist to salvage their deteriorating marriage. At work, Joyner receives a friend request on Facebook from "Bob Stone", who invites him to meet at a bar. Stone reveals himself to be Weirdicht, who has transformed into a muscular, fit, confident man with advanced hand-to-hand combat skills.

After a bar fight and tour of the school, Stone asks Joyner to review some online transactions, and he discovers a multimillion-dollar auction with bidders from radical countries, with the final bids set to conclude the following day. The next morning, a team of CIA agents led by Pamela Harris arrives at Joyner's in search of Stone, who shockingly vanished after sleeping on Joyner’s couch. Harris tells Joyner that he is a dangerous rogue agent who murdered his former partner, Phil Stanton.

Harris tells Joyner that Stone intends to sell satellite codes to the highest bidder. Soon after Stone abducts him, explaining that he is trying to stop a mysterious criminal called the "Black Badger" from selling the codes but needs Joyner's skills to locate the meeting place. After an attack by a bounty hunter, Joyner flees and calls Maggie, telling her to meet him at the marriage counselor's office. Harris intercepts him, telling him that Stone is the Black Badger. She warns him to not tell Maggie and gives him a device to alert them to Stone's location.

Joyner meets Maggie for their marriage counseling session, where Stone is posing as the counselor. Stone convinces Joyner to help him, so he sets up a meeting with Olson, who can track the offshore account for the auction to get the deal's location. Olson feigns an apology for bullying Stone before once again antagonizing him. Harris calls Joyner and threatens to arrest Maggie if he fails to help them detain Stone. Joyner reluctantly betrays him, and the CIA arrests him.

As Harris tortures Stone to get his confession, Joyner helps him escape, and discovers the deal is happening in a Boston underground parking garage and helps Stone steal a plane. Stone enters alone, while Joyner watches Harris entering a short while later. Assuming that she is the Black Badger, he runs after her, only to find Stone meeting with the buyer and claiming to be the Black Badger. Stone shoots Joyner, grazing his neck, to keep him safe. Stanton arrives, having faked his death, and reveals himself to be the Black Badger.

A fight breaks out, and Stanton reveals his plan to frame Stone for the crime. Stone kills him by ripping his throat out. Joyner and he make it to their 20th high school reunion. Upon arriving, Joyner reconciles with Maggie and promises to improve their marriage. The new prom king is announced to be Stone; Joyner reveals to Maggie that he hacked the school's voting system to make it happen. Olson shows up to bully Stone again, but he finally stands up for himself and punches him unconscious.

In Stone's acceptance speech, he reveals that he is Weirdicht, cites the importance of overcoming obstacles, and praises Joyner as his best friend. He then relives his most embarrassing incident on his terms by stripping. Stone then encounters his high school crush Darla McGuchian, whom he proceeds to share a kiss and dance with.

Sometime later, Maggie is now pregnant, and Joyner has joined Stone in the CIA. As a gift for his first day on the job, Stone returns Joyner's varsity jacket.

Cast

Production

Development

The script was greenlit by Universal Pictures in 2010, and Rawson Marshall Thurber was selected to direct and started to write the script together with Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen. Before production began, Thurber convinced New Line Cinema to buy the script and the studio became the film's domestic distributor through Warner Bros. Pictures. That year, Dwayne Johnson was cast alongside Kevin Hart.

Filming

Principal photography began on May 6, 2015, and took place in Atlanta, Georgia, and throughout various Massachusetts locations, including Boston, [5] [6] Burlington, [7] Lynn, Middleton, [7] Winchester and Quincy. Principal photography ended in July 2015. To promote the film, Johnson and Hart had an Instagram war against each other on set. [8]

Release

Theatrical

The film premiered at the Regency Village Theater on June 10, 2016. [9] Warner Bros. handled distribution in the United States, where the film opened on June 17, 2016, while Universal covered global distribution, as the film was released between June and July 2016.

Home media

Central Intelligence was released on Digital HD on September 13, 2016, before being released on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on September 27, 2016. [10]

Reception

Box office

Central Intelligence grossed $127.4 million in North America and $89.5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $216.9 million, against a budget of $60 million. [3] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $122 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film. [11]

Central Intelligence opened on June 17, 2016, alongside Finding Dory and was projected to gross around $30 million from 3,508 theaters in its opening weekend. [2] The film grossed $1.8 million from its Thursday previews and $13 million on its first day. [12] The film went on to gross $35.5 million, finishing second at the box office behind fellow newcomer Finding Dory ($135.1 million). [13]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Central Intelligence has an approval rating of 71% based on 184 reviews with an average rating of 5.76/10. [14] The site's critical consensus reads, "Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson make for well-matched comic foils, helping Central Intelligence overcome a script that coasts on their considerable chemistry." [15] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 52 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [16] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 75% overall positive score and a 55% "definite recommend". [13]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film two out of four stars, writing, "If you're expecting the story threads to cohere, you're in the wrong multiplex. Central Intelligence always takes the lazy way out. You go along for the ride because Hart and Johnson promise something they can't deliver: a movie as funny as they are." [17] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club criticized the film as a "shambolic high-concept farce that doubles as a cautionary tale of where studio comedies go wrong," writing, "In spots as indifferent and self-indulgent as any latter-day Adam Sandler production ... , [Intelligence] switches back and forth from snail-paced to incoherently over-stuffed on a moment's notice, with no in-between mode." [18] Keith Phipps of Uproxx gave the film a positive review, saying, "It all adds up to the sort of breezy, undemanding comedy that fits nicely into the summer months, and plays beautifully in endless cable repeats." [19]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef(s)
Critics' Choice Awards Best Comedy Central IntelligenceNominated [20]
Best Actor in a Comedy Dwayne Johnson Nominated
Golden Trailer Awards Best Comedy"Trailer 1"Nominated [21]
Best Comedy Poster"Big Johnson Teaser"Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite BFFs (Best Friends Forever)Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart Won [22]
People's Choice Awards Favorite Comedic MovieCentral IntelligenceNominated [23]
Favorite Comedic Movie ActorKevin HartWon
Dwayne JohnsonNominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Summer MovieCentral IntelligenceNominated [24]
Choice Summer Movie ActorKevin HartWon
Dwayne JohnsonNominated

Future

In November 2021, writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber stated that a sequel had been in development, before being delayed in favor of the collaboration between Johnson and Hart in the Jumanji sequels. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwayne Johnson</span> American actor and wrestler (born 1972)

Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor, professional wrestler, and businessman. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Johnson was integral to the development and success of the World Wrestling Federation during the Attitude Era. He wrestled for the WWF full-time for eight years before pursuing an acting career. His films have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $12.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the world's highest-grossing and highest-paid actors. He is a co-owner of the United Football League, a member of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings—the parent company of UFC and WWE—and co-founder of Seven Bucks Productions.

<i>Spy Game</i> 2001 American action thriller film by Tony Scott

Spy Game is a 2001 action thriller film directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. The American–French–German–Japanese co-production grossed $62 million in the United States and $143 million worldwide on a $115 million budget and received mostly positive reviews from film critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rawson Marshall Thurber</span> American film director

Rawson Marshall Thurber is an American filmmaker and actor.

<i>Patriot Games</i> (film) 1992 film by Phillip Noyce

Patriot Games is a 1992 American action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce and based on Tom Clancy's 1987 novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October, part of a series of films featuring Clancy's character Jack Ryan, but with different actors in the leading roles. Harrison Ford stars as Jack Ryan and Anne Archer as his wife, and James Earl Jones reprises his role as Admiral James Greer. The cast also includes Sean Bean, Patrick Bergin, Thora Birch, Samuel L. Jackson, James Fox, and Richard Harris.

<i>Bad Company</i> (2002 film) 2002 film

Bad Company is a 2002 American action-comedy film directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins. The film became somewhat famous for its connections to the September 11th terrorist attacks; amongst other things, it was the last major production to film inside the original World Trade Center. The film plot, written years before the attacks, involved a variety of Serbo-Balkan extremists planning a huge attack in New York City. The film's release date was moved out of its late 2001 spot and into a summer 2002 release, similar to several other films with terrorism or violent crime-related stories, including Collateral Damage.

Danielle Nicolet is an American actress. She has made appearances on shows such as 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001), Second Time Around (2004–05), The Starter Wife (2008), Family Tools (2013), Born Again Virgin (2015–16) and The Flash (2015–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Hart</span> American comedian and actor (born 1979)

Kevin Darnell Hart is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards.

<i>Finding Dory</i> 2016 film by Andrew Stanton

Finding Dory is a 2016 American animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Angus MacLane, produced by Lindsey Collins, and written by Stanton and Victoria Strouse. The second installment to the Finding Nemo franchise, the film is a both a sequel and spin-off following the events of Finding Nemo (2003). Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks reprise their roles from the first film, with Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy joining the cast. The film focuses on the amnesiac fish Dory (DeGeneres), who journeys to be reunited with her parents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwayne Johnson filmography</span> List of films featuring Dwayne Johnson

American actor and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, is one of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actors of all time. His films have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $12.5 billion worldwide.

<i>The Wedding Ringer</i> 2015 film by Jeremy Garelick

The Wedding Ringer is a 2015 American buddy romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick. It stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. The film was produced by Adam Fields, Will Packer Productions and Miramax, distributed by Screen Gems, and released on January 16, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 MTV Movie Awards</span>

The 2016 MTV Movie Awards were held on April 9, 2016, from Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California, as the first such event in 21 years, as well as being the first Movie Awards to be held outdoors. In addition, this year's awards also became the first since the 2006 MTV Movie Awards not to be aired live, as the event was pre-recorded on April 9 prior to its April 10 broadcast date, and the first since the 2003 MTV Movie Awards to include two hosts, instead of one.

<i>Nine Lives</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Barry Sonnenfeld

Nine Lives is a 2016 English-language French fantasy comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, written by Gwyn Lurie, Matt R. Allen, Caleb Wilson, Dan Antoniazzi and Ben Shiffrin, and starring Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell, Cheryl Hines, Malina Weissman and Christopher Walken.

<i>Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle</i> 2017 film directed by Jake Kasdan

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a 2017 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay by the writing teams of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, based on a story conceived by McKenna. The film is the third installment in the Jumanji film series and a sequel to Jumanji (1995). It stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Rhys Darby and Bobby Cannavale. The story focuses on a group of teenagers who come across Jumanji, now transformed into a video game twenty-two years after the events of the 1995 film. They find themselves trapped inside the game as a set of adult avatars, seeking to complete a treacherous quest alongside another player who has been trapped since 1996.

<i>Skyscraper</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Rawson Marshall Thurber

Skyscraper is a 2018 American action thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Produced by Legendary Pictures, Seven Bucks Productions and Flynn Picture Company, the film stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, with Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Møller, Noah Taylor, Byron Mann, Pablo Schreiber, and Hannah Quinlivan in supporting roles. In the film, Will Sawyer, a former FBI agent, must rescue his family from a newly built Hong Kong skyscraper, the tallest in the world, after terrorists set the building on fire in an attempt to extort the property developer. The first non-comedy of Thurber's career, it also marks his second collaboration with Johnson, following Central Intelligence (2016).

<i>The Upside</i> 2017 film by Neil Burger

The Upside is a 2017 American comedy drama film directed by Neil Burger, written by Jon Hartmere. It is a remake of the French 2011 film The Intouchables, which was itself inspired by the lives of Abdel Sallou and Philippe Pozzo di Borgo. The film follows a paralyzed billionaire who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a recently paroled convict whom he hires to take care of him. Nicole Kidman, Golshifteh Farahani, and Julianna Margulies also star. It is the third remake of The Intouchables after the Indian film Oopiri, and the Argentinian film Inseparables (2016).

<i>Hobbs & Shaw</i> 2019 film by David Leitch

Hobbs & Shaw is a 2019 buddy action comedy film directed by David Leitch from a script by Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce. It is the first spin-off film in the Fast & Furious franchise and the ninth installment of the franchise, taking place after the events of The Fate of the Furious and before the events of F9. It stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, alongside Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eiza González, Cliff Curtis, and Helen Mirren. In the film, Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw join Shaw's sister Hattie to take down Brixton Lore, a cybernetically enhanced terrorist, who is threatening the world with a deadly virus.

<i>Jumanji: The Next Level</i> 2019 film by Jake Kasdan

Jumanji: The Next Level is a 2019 American adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan, who co-wrote the script with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. The film is the fourth installment in the Jumanji film series and the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser'Darius Blain and Madison Iseman reprise their roles from the previous film while Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito join the cast. The film's plot takes place two years after Welcome to the Jungle, in which the same group of teenagers, along with an old friend and two unwitting additions, become trapped in Jumanji once again. There, they all find themselves facing new problems and challenges with both old and new avatars, while having to save the land from a new villain to escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Bucks Productions</span> American film studio

Seven Bucks Productions is an American production company founded by actor Dwayne Johnson and his manager/ex-wife Dany Garcia in 2012. The company is involved in film, television, digital networks, and emerging technologies. It produces a variety of projects, usually directly in relation with Johnson's acting roles, and has grossed $4.6 billion at the box office as of 2024. Its subsidiaries include Seven Bucks Digital Studios and Seven Bucks Creative.

<i>Red Notice</i> (film) 2021 action comedy film by Rawson Marshall Thurber

Red Notice is a 2021 American action comedy film written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber starring Dwayne Johnson alongside Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot and Ritu Arya. It marks the third collaboration between Thurber and Johnson, following Central Intelligence (2016) and Skyscraper (2018). In the film, an FBI agent reluctantly teams up with a renowned art thief in order to catch an even more notorious thief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dany Garcia</span> American film producer

Dany Garcia Rienzi is an American film producer and businesswoman. She is the founder of GSTQ and the CEO and chair of The Garcia Companies overseeing a portfolio of brands in business, entertainment, and food, including Teremana Tequila, Athleticon, and the Project Rock Collection at Under Armour, VOSS, Atom Tickets, Salt & Straw, ZOA Energy, Acorns, and the UFL.

References

  1. "Central Intelligence (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "'Finding Dory' To Have Shark-Size Appetite At Weekend B.O.; Second Best Opening This Summer After 'Civil War' – Preview". Deadline Hollywood . June 14, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Central Intelligence (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  4. "'Central Intelligence' Review Roundup: Critics Think Dwayne Johnson & Kevin Hart Have Chemistry, But Script Lacks". IndieWire.com. June 16, 2016.
  5. "Kevin Hart on Instagram". instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  6. Erik Christianson, Jon (March 31, 2015). "Calling All Film Junkies: Movies Filming in Boston During Summer 2015". thevoiceofdowntownboston.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart spotted filming "Central Intelligence" in Massachusetts". onlocationvacations.com. May 5, 2015. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  8. Bui, Hoai-Tran (July 6, 2015). "Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart ruin each other's videos in hilarious dueling Instagrams". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  9. "Central Intelligence World Premiere, LA". Average Socialite. June 10, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  10. Hunt, Bill. "New Force Awakens 3D details, plus Central Intelligence, Suicide Squad, new Olive Signature & more".
  11. Mike Fleming Jr (March 20, 2017). "No. 20 'Central Intelligence' Box Office Profits – 2016 Most Valuable Movie Blockbuster Tournament Underway". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  12. "'Finding Dory' Set to Break the Animated Opening Weekend Record". BoxOfficeMojo.com.
  13. 1 2 "'Dory's Record Animated Pic $136M+ Opening Is Also Second Best For June After 'Jurassic World'". Deadline Hollywood . June 20, 2016.
  14. "Central Intelligence – Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. June 17, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  15. "Central Intelligence (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  16. "Central Intelligence reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  17. "Central Intelligence – Review". RollingStone.com. June 16, 2016.
  18. Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (June 16, 2016). "The action-comedy Central Intelligence is a dud with a few good laughs". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  19. Ryan, Mike (June 16, 2016). "Kevin Hart And Dwayne Johnson Make A Natural Team In 'Central Intelligence'". Uproxx. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  20. "La La Land Leads with 12 Nominations for the 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards". Critics' Choice. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  21. "The 17th Annual Golden Trailer Award Nominees". GoldenTrailer.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  22. "NICKELODEON ANNOUNCES 2017 KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS NOMINATIONS | Nick Press". NickPress. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  23. "People's Choice Awards Nominees 2017 — Full List". Deadline. November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  24. Goodman, Jessica (July 31, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016: See the full list of winners". Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  25. Kit, Borys (November 18, 2021). "'Red Notice' Director Rawson Marshall Thurber Talks Big Budget, Bigger Personalities, Sequel Prospects and On-Set Safety". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 19, 2021.