June 10, 2016 (Regency Village Theater)
June 17, 2016 (United States)
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 Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson 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.
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 mixed-to-positive reviews, 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.
Storyline
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 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; Joyner even going as far as to quickly cover him with his varsity jacket in a moment of compassion. Weirdicht 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 Stone 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, and that Stone was framed.
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 Stone 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.
Movie Trailer
- Central Intelligence (2016) (Trailers)