Nothing smart in Central Intelligence

DWAYNE Johnson has come a long way since his days as professional wrestler The Rock, but he still spends months at a time in the gym and boasts more muscle definition in his little finger than most of us have on our entire bodies.

Now that he has parlayed his imposing physique and charismatic ring presence into a screen career encompassing rotating roles as mythic warrior, action hero, federal agent, all-around nice guy and now, buddy-flick comedy star - usually in shirts several sizes too small for his biceps - Johnson can also claim to be the highly-paid face of a slew of box-office blockbusters.

Unfortunately, his latest film Central Intelligence is also pretty dumb. With comedian Kevin Hart playing the reluctant buddy/foil as a former high school classmate who is dragged into a web of international espionage, the film is standard summer fare, directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and written by Thurber, Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen, that simply calls for Johnson to what casting directors have called upon him to do many times before.

Here, he plays Ben Stone, a once-obese kid who was humiliated in front of the whole school by a group of bullies, only to be rescued by Calvin Joyner (Hart), the student-athlete voted by his peers as most likely to succeed. Twenty years later and with his glory days a distant memory, Calvin has married his high-school sweetheart (Danielle Nicolet) and is now a pen-pushing accountant trying to come to grips with the notion that he peaked in high school.

Then Ben shows up unannounced. He's still good-natured but totally unrecognisable from the fat kid Calvin knew in high school. He's buff and built like a steamroller - and equipped with a gun and badge that identifies him as a CIA agent on the trail of some enemies of the state and stolen encryption codes. He enlists Calvin to help with the case and right on cue, havoc - spiced with large helpings of high-speed banter between the two - ensues.

Central Intelligence charges headlong into the odd-couple territory rendered familiar by the Lethal Weapon series, 48 Hrs. (1982) and more recent films like The Heat (2013), which traded very well on the drastic differences between two mismatched partners. The chemistry between Johnson and Hart is convincing enough and both stars occupy their personal universes with verve and humour. Says Calvin to Ben admiringly after one action-packed scene: "You're like Jason Bourne in shorts."

The plot - and I use that term loosely - is almost incidental as the filmmakers simply step aside and let the stars do their schtick. It's a routine that doesn't wear as thin as in some less successful experiments.

Central Intelligence may fall somewhere in the middle pack in the action-comedy genre but it does allow Johnson to hold his own against a proven comic talent and demonstrate what a versatile and reliable star he's become - solid as a Rock, you might say.

Rating: C