Review of Central Intelligence (2016) by Annora G — 22 Sep 2016

This buddy comedy starts with a set piece of bullying but by the time that Dwayne Johnson looks into his reflection and sees himself it is something greater. Most movies either laugh at a character like Robbie turning himself into Bob, or they redeem him to be the masculine hero stereotype.

Central Intelligence keeps Calvin and us guessing. I am guessing that is a reason people have not rated this movie highly. We have gotten used to being told how to feel about a character from the beginning and here tensions are created inside its characters,as well as between them.

Thurber and the writers created a strong character who still hadn't overcome his original doubt. I am not ignoring Hart's character, it is his horrified fascination with the destruction of his normal life that we identify with.

I think that this is text book example of the sidelining of black movies as genre with all the bias against artistic merit that implies.