This Means War (C or 2/4 stars)
'This Means War' (directed by McG) is one of those tricky action-spiked romantic comedies. Without the proper tonal shifts, the film could be a disaster. And while I don't think it's a disaster, and while I laughed at spots, & while I enjoy the 3 leads ... it's the poor, absurdist quality of the script/direction that prevents me from branding this a quality movie. FDR (Chris Pine, of 2009's Star Trek) & Tuck (Tom Hardy, of 2011's Warrior) are CIA spies & inseparable buddies. After a failed attempt to capture int'l terrorist Heinrich (Til Schweiger) goes wrong, leaving destruction & dead bodies everywhere, FDR & Tuck are relegated to desk jobs. Meanwhile, Heinrich plots revenge. Back at the CIA, Tuck decides that it's time to date again (after having recently divorced).
He signs up with an on-line dating service & lands a date with Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a plucky consumer products representative. Tuck & Lauren hit it off but, after it's over, she accidentally bumps into FDR and, after a bizarre getting-to-know-you stage ... they decide to go out. It doesn't take long for Tuck & FDR to learn that they're dating the same woman, although she's clueless that they know of each other's existence, or that they're great friends! Tuck & FDR make a pact not to let Lauren come btwn. them but, of course, that's a deal they're unable to keep. The 'war' is on to keep Lauren for themselves. They start employing their CIA skills & an array of high-tech gadgetry ... against each other. And much chaos ensues.
In an action/bromance/rom-com like this, chemistry is key. I enjoyed the 3 leads individually. But Tom Hardy & Reese Witherspoon have a more brother-sister kinda chemistry going on. Chris Pine & Reese are lacking, too (even with a sexually-charged scene). And it's even hard buying that Hardy & Pine are 'best buds' at times, too. For a movie like this to work, you kinda need to the 2 dueling buddies to have that crackling love/hate thing going on. You see it in fits & starts (stretches of sharp banter and/or camaraderie). But it's inconsistent. So you're never wholly invested in their situation.
Now, if the film works, at all - it's because of the actors (least of all, Reese), some well-timed/placed humor, & a couple of flashy sequences. One involves Tuck & FDR spying on Lauren & planting bugs in her apartment as she dances & sings in her kitchen; unbeknownst to their presence. There are a lot of clever surveillance shots as Tuck spies on FDR's dates with Lauren; and vice-versa. And though there are only 2 or 3 action scenes (in the beginning & end), they are so self-parodic and over-the-top, that you may finding yourself chuckling at how absurd (and absurdly executed) they are.
After Walk the Line, Reese Witherspoon showed up in a string of bum dramas or poorly received "comedies". She was arguably the worst part of last year's otherwise stellar Water for Elephants. And now there's this film. It'll make $$. But I'm concerned about her star trajectory. And here, I don't know whether to like or dislike her character; who takes a moral high ground, yet dates 2 men at once, sure to break one's heart. Tom Hardy is enormously talented (as evidenced elsewhere). But you get the impression that romantic comedy may not be his thing. And Chris Pine is fine; bringing a humorous as*hole persona to FDR. But the standout, for me, is actually Chelsea Handler, who plays Lauren's potty-mouthed, straight-shooting BFF.
So yeah, some of the comedy (especially early on) misses the mark. Some editing choices are unfortunate (someone's doing one thing in one shot, & then doing something completely different in the next). Witherspoon doesn't do 'talking to herself' well (think Sarah Jessica Parker). And I found the wrap-up (post climax) to be bittersweet. One of the guys ends up on the sidelines; and he's given a less-satisfying narrative conclusion. It felt shoehorned-in to create a 'yay, everyone winds up okay' ending. Rom-coms should end with more uplift. All said & done, 'This Means War' is simply a misguided, yet intermittently frothy confection. It's just a shame to see 3 talented actors fighting the script. As is, the movie is merely acceptable.
He signs up with an on-line dating service & lands a date with Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a plucky consumer products representative. Tuck & Lauren hit it off but, after it's over, she accidentally bumps into FDR and, after a bizarre getting-to-know-you stage ... they decide to go out. It doesn't take long for Tuck & FDR to learn that they're dating the same woman, although she's clueless that they know of each other's existence, or that they're great friends! Tuck & FDR make a pact not to let Lauren come btwn. them but, of course, that's a deal they're unable to keep. The 'war' is on to keep Lauren for themselves. They start employing their CIA skills & an array of high-tech gadgetry ... against each other. And much chaos ensues.
In an action/bromance/rom-com like this, chemistry is key. I enjoyed the 3 leads individually. But Tom Hardy & Reese Witherspoon have a more brother-sister kinda chemistry going on. Chris Pine & Reese are lacking, too (even with a sexually-charged scene). And it's even hard buying that Hardy & Pine are 'best buds' at times, too. For a movie like this to work, you kinda need to the 2 dueling buddies to have that crackling love/hate thing going on. You see it in fits & starts (stretches of sharp banter and/or camaraderie). But it's inconsistent. So you're never wholly invested in their situation.
Now, if the film works, at all - it's because of the actors (least of all, Reese), some well-timed/placed humor, & a couple of flashy sequences. One involves Tuck & FDR spying on Lauren & planting bugs in her apartment as she dances & sings in her kitchen; unbeknownst to their presence. There are a lot of clever surveillance shots as Tuck spies on FDR's dates with Lauren; and vice-versa. And though there are only 2 or 3 action scenes (in the beginning & end), they are so self-parodic and over-the-top, that you may finding yourself chuckling at how absurd (and absurdly executed) they are.
After Walk the Line, Reese Witherspoon showed up in a string of bum dramas or poorly received "comedies". She was arguably the worst part of last year's otherwise stellar Water for Elephants. And now there's this film. It'll make $$. But I'm concerned about her star trajectory. And here, I don't know whether to like or dislike her character; who takes a moral high ground, yet dates 2 men at once, sure to break one's heart. Tom Hardy is enormously talented (as evidenced elsewhere). But you get the impression that romantic comedy may not be his thing. And Chris Pine is fine; bringing a humorous as*hole persona to FDR. But the standout, for me, is actually Chelsea Handler, who plays Lauren's potty-mouthed, straight-shooting BFF.
So yeah, some of the comedy (especially early on) misses the mark. Some editing choices are unfortunate (someone's doing one thing in one shot, & then doing something completely different in the next). Witherspoon doesn't do 'talking to herself' well (think Sarah Jessica Parker). And I found the wrap-up (post climax) to be bittersweet. One of the guys ends up on the sidelines; and he's given a less-satisfying narrative conclusion. It felt shoehorned-in to create a 'yay, everyone winds up okay' ending. Rom-coms should end with more uplift. All said & done, 'This Means War' is simply a misguided, yet intermittently frothy confection. It's just a shame to see 3 talented actors fighting the script. As is, the movie is merely acceptable.