Johnson, Hart create comic fireworks in 'Central Intelligence'

The emotional scars and false hopes of high school turn out to be the real stars of the buddy action comedy "Central Intelligence."

Even though Rawson Marshall Thurber's popcorn picture traffics in shopworn gunfights and car chases, it carries an affectionately creepy vibe between the main characters, forever linked by the damage done to them by their mutual high school experience.

"Central Intelligence" contains more than enough comic payoff moments to fill a coming-attractions trailer. More important during this week of terror, tragedy and loss, the story testifies to the power and ripple effects of a single act of kindness.

In 1996, Calvin Joyner rules the school: sports star, student council president, honor student, newspaper editor, prom king, you name it. Everyone loves "The Golden Jet," voted most likely to succeed in life.

Robbie Weirdicht, meanwhile, wears braces, weighs too much and becomes the target of bullies who drag him out of a shower and toss him naked on to the gym floor during a pep rally.

(One may wonder why Robbie had taken a shower during an all-school pep assembly, but that hardly constitutes a major credibility issue here.)

Calvin removes his letter jacket and gives it to Robbie, who silently mouths "Thank you" and leaves.

Twenty years later, the Golden Jet has never taken off the runway of life.

Stuck in a cubical as a lowly accountant, Calvin (Kevin Hart) has married his high school sweetheart Maggie (Danielle Nicolet). She wants children. But he views kids as the ultimate admission of growing up, and refuses.

Out of the blue, Robbie calls Calvin to see if he's going to the 20th class reunion, and suggests they meet at a bar.

Except Robbie goes by the name Bob Stone and works for the CIA. Muscle-bound Dwayne Johnson plays him.

"You look like Hercules!" Calvin squeals. (Johnson starred in 2014's "Hercules.")

Later, Bob returns a compliment to Calvin, "You're like a black Will Smith!"

The plot, a flimsy thread that Thurber (director of "We're the Millers") and two other writers concocted to load up with action set pieces, has Bob being chased by CIA operative Pamela Harris (a determined Amy Ryan) who believes him to be the Black Badger, an agent who has stolen encryption keys to the U.S. spy satellite program.

But Bob tells Calvin that he wants to catch the Black Badger and he needs Calvin's accounting skills to crack a computer code and interpret financial data. Or whatever.

The big payoff of "Central Intelligence" lies in the comic chemistry between Hart and Johnson.

Hart performs his expected, shrieking, panicky character. Not much of a stretch.

But Johnson? His insecure, emo, former fat boy trapped in the body of muscle-pumped superhero marks the riskiest, most pleasantly surprising movie performance of his career so far.

"Central Intelligence" offers a funny, perfect cameo by a comic star not mentioned in the press materials.

But Johnson proves to be the breakout star here. He masters both physical comedy and verbal zingers, pitched underhand without jokiness.

Calvin asks Bob how he dropped weight and got fit.

"Just one thing," Bob deadpans. "I worked out every day, Six hours a day. For 20 years."

And it's funny.

“Central Intelligence”

★ ★ ½

Starring: Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Amy Ryan, Jason Bateman, Danielle Nicolet

Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber

Other: A Warner Bros. release. Rated PG-13 for language, nudity, sexual innuendo, violence. 115 minutes