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Originally published Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:04 AM
Movie review
'This Means War': Rom-com's appealing cast fights losing battle
A movie review of "This Means War," a silly McG action movie that's being marketed as Valentine's Day fare. It stars Chris Pine and Tom Hardy as a pair of deadly CIA operatives who fall for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon).
Seattle Times movie critic
'This Means War,' with Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Til Schweiger, Chelsea Handler, Angela Bassett. Directed by McG, from a screenplay by Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg. 96 minutes. Rated PG-13 for sexual content including references, some violence and action, and for language. Several theaters.
OK, this does mean war, fellow moviegoers. Why does Hollywood find it so difficult to make a romantic comedy?
And why would a movie studio be so hard up for a rom-com that they'd take a silly action movie from McG (director of "Charlie's Angels" and "Terminator Salvation") like "This Means War" and market it as Valentine's Day fare?
I suppose, at heart, this movie is sort of a romance, of the triangle variety: FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are a pair of deadly CIA operatives, fun-loving guys and close buddies, until their closeness is threatened when they both fall for the same woman, Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). This launches a series of extremely competitive and highly improbable dates (during which each guy spies on the other), including one that takes place on a flying trapeze and another involving a priceless cache of Klimt paintings, as FDR and Tuck each try to woo Lauren for his own.
Meanwhile, an evil European arms dealer (Til Schweiger) is seeking revenge against the guys — for spy reasons, mind you, not because he likes Lauren, too — and Lauren's best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler, miscast and abrasive) complains a lot about her husband. Bullets fly, cars get chased and eventually Lauren chooses one man, but you won't much care which.
"This Means War" gets by, just barely, on the strength of a likable cast: Witherspoon, even in fluff like this, is a charmer; Pine and Hardy find an enjoyable buddy chemistry; and if you look closely you'll spot Angela Bassett as a perpetually ticked-off CIA boss, marching determinedly through the movie as if she's on her way to a better one someplace else. (OK, somebody get her a romantic comedy.)
But why is it so difficult to make a funny, clever, appealing movie about that most basic of experiences — falling in love? Why aren't actors this talented demanding better scripts? "Crazy, Stupid, Love" showed last year that good romantic comedy isn't impossible; I'm still waiting, heart in hand, for the next one.
Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com
