CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (Rated PG-13)

You can’t go too far wrong pairing the hulking, powerful Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and the diminutive funnyman Kevin Hart as mismatched partners in a buddy action comedy, and “Central Intelligence” has enough smarts, in dialogue and action, to deliver the goods.

Johnson and Hart, who for lack of a better definition could be called the Mutt and Jeff of action comedy, develop into the bickering partners that bring to mind the “Rush Hour” franchise and “Midnight Run.”

I suspect that the former reference is more familiar to most than the oddball comic road trip of “Midnight Run” in which Robert DeNiro’s taciturn bounty hunter has to lug a talkative mob accountant Charles Grodin cross country. If you haven’t seen this film, it’s a must-see.

OK, back to “Central Intelligence,” where the essential premise rests on life twenty years after high school, during which Johnson was, it would seem so improbably, an extremely chubby geek with the unfortunate name of Robbie Weirdicht.

As the hopelessly uncool high school senior, Robbie, the supersized kid with a gentle soul, was an easy prey to campus bullies and suffered the ultimate humiliation when he was hurled, naked, into center court at a school pep rally.

Hart’s character, Calvin Joyner, also known by the impressive nickname, the Golden Jet, was the Big Man on Campus, the King of the Prom and voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” Despite all that, Calvin displayed an act of kindness to the sad sack Robbie that was never forgotten.

Jump to the present day, Robbie has been transformed by six hours a day of training into the physical specimen for which Dwayne Johnson became known as “The Rock” during his early career in the WWE world of wrestling.

Fittingly, Robbie has jettisoned his old name for that of Bob Stone, a moniker that suits his new role as a confident charmer with a rock-hard physique and a daring, skilled CIA operative with an exciting life that Calvin can only imagine.

Sadly, Calvin has become a risk-averse accountant stuck on the middle rung of the corporate ladder and commanding zero respect from his colleagues. His marriage to high school sweetheart Maggie (Danielle Nicolet) has hit a rough patch.

As the high school reunion looms, Calvin takes stock of his life and ponders what might have been. Suddenly, Bob shows up and invites Calvin for a beer a couple of days prior to the big reunion.

Maybe he’s a tough guy, but Bob still has a few quirks. He wears a unicorn T-shirt and an unfashionable fanny pack. His love for “Sixteen Candles” serves as a reference point apropos of nothing of significance, but provides a soft edge to his gruff exterior.

Within hours, Bob’s seemingly casual request for Calvin to analyze some financial data takes a suspicious turn, leading to a shaky path of underground transactions and high-stakes plot over stolen encryption codes that pose a threat to national security.

Bob’s superiors, including a tenacious Agent Pamela Harris (Amy Ryan) with a sadistic streak abetted by her own goon squad, believe Bob is behind a scheme to sell state secrets, while Bob claims to be tracking the real villain, code-named Black Badger.

Meanwhile, the funny part of the cloak-and-dagger mischief is that Calvin, despite his vigorous denials of involvement with Bob, is suspected by the government spooks of being in cahoots with a rogue agent, such that his home and office are invaded by gun-wielding agents.

“Central Intelligence” sets a nice rhythm to the action by exposing Bob and Calvin as polar opposites. Bob thrives on action and brute force, a trait demonstrated on the first night at the local tavern when Bob takes down four bullies with hardly a sweat.

Meanwhile, Calvin hates action and violence. When Bob reminds Calvin that “he’s in” on the caper to clear his name, Calvin insists that he’s not a part of it. The difference between these two is a classic set-up for a buddy, action comedy.

There’s more to it when Bob reveals that he still has a real affection in a hero-worship way toward Calvin. While Bob has become the strong, powerful dude, he still looks at Calvin like he’s the big hero from high school days, reminding him that he’s still the Golden Jet.

At some point, and not too surprisingly, Calvin may have to summon his dormant inner-hero to come to the rescue. The script has some good zingers, with one of them being Bob saying to Calvin, “You’re like a black Will Smith.”

For the most part, “Central Intelligence” thrives and succeeds on two central points. First is the dynamic chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart; they need to reunite in another adventure. Second is the breezy pace of the action itself.

Don’t expect any big deal with “Central Intelligence.” Go along for the ride, giving little thought to the plot itself, and enjoy the entertainment value provided by the very likable lead characters.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.