Movie: This Means War
Release Date: Feb. 17
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Grade: B-
It has action for the guy, romance for the girl and comedy to bring it all together. This Means War has the perfect fixings for a couple's movie night out.
Lauren, played by Reese Witherspoon (Water for Elephants), receives help from her outspoken best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler, Are You There, Chelsea?) to get her back in the dating scene after a recent slump. Unbeknownst to her, the two men she happens to meet are also best friends and partners at the CIA.
Tuck (Tom Hardy, Warrior) is the sensitive, nice guy, counterbalanced by the suave, but cocky, FDR (Chris Pine, Unstoppable). After coming to the disappointing conclusion that they are chasing the same woman, the duo come to a gentlemen's agreement to keep dating and let the lady choose.
In their efforts to try and win over Lauren, it becomes a battle of the spies as the partners bug her apartment, track her movements, and sabotage each other's attempts at romance.
Witherspoon's great performance comes as no surprise as her charm and rom-com experience give her the confidence to act beside the generally acidic Handler, creating humorous and enjoyable interactions thanks to the instant on-screen chemistry between the two.
Although Handler is known more for her comedic career than her acting, she surprises the audience with her sensitive role, a fact that almost masks the awkwardness that comes with her inexperienced acting skills. Despite this layer of sensitivity, Handler is her typical self, embodying a role that was clearly written for her. She is loud, crude, and obnoxious, all in her signature fashion.
Type casted into the attractive but powerful roles of Tuck and FDR, Pine and Hardy play their roles well for the script they were given.
While Pine's toughness should be accentuated to highlight Hardy's emotional, sensitive side, the distinction isn't apparent until half way through the film. Characterization fails, and there's really not much that sets the two characters apart. Lauren might as well be choosing between the same guys in different body suits.
Each genre the film covers is only half-realized. The scenes are enjoyable and humorous, but they aren't hilarious. Little giggles could be heard in the theater, but not the boisterous laughter that fills theaters during high profile comedies. Although the movie opens with a bang and ends with an even longer action sequence, the middle fizzles out as action falls to the wayside in exchange for tried-and-true romance.
Despite the romantic slant, the audience never falls in love with either Pine or Hardy. Viewers should be crushed when they find out whom Witherspoon ends up with, but instead they're left with feeling rather apathetic, as the choice could have gone either way. The lack of emotional attachment to the characters shows that the film does not even scratch the surface of what it could be as a romantic comedy.
This Means War is an enjoyable collaboration of genres, although it is lacking in a few aspects. A strictly action-comedy or action-romance mix would have made for a stronger film. But it just might be worth it to see how this mission plays out and if Lauren has actually fallen for either one of the confident agents.
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