After 3 years away from the big screen, McG has returned with This Means War.
On first inspection it would look like McG has returned to his root to make a spy-based action comedy, with Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) as the Y Chromosome’s answer to Charlie’s Angels.
Things start off as you would expect with a generic gun-toting action scene on top of a Hong Kong skyscraper, with some bad one-liners. The sight of Pine and Hardy in suits gives you a fouls sense of what to except for the next 97 minutes.
It is a relief to find that to find that this not a typical action comedy and is a different film altogether. Our heroes get to much attention with the rooftop action and end up side line to their desks while the attention dies down.
With nothing better to do than think about there love lives, Tuck (Hardy) joins an internet dating site. This is where Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde) unlucky-in-love Lauren comes in and meets Tuck. By accident she meets FDR (Pine), she like both but does not know which to date. Thanks to her best friend she agrees to date both of them, to see which is best for her.
Tuck and FDR talk about the new girl they have meet and find out there they are both dating the same girl. They come to a gentleman’s agreement, to carry on dating here and swap notes and let her make the choice of both of them.
As the title suggests it not long before both men are at war with each other trying to win the girl. This bring an onslaught of mild rather enjoyable bromantic bickering and one-upmanship, with using the resources of the CIA.
Pine and Hardy both seem to be having the fun in their roles, which really work for them and they have great on screen chemistry together.
As compelling as the bromance is, the womance gets a decent look in too – Witherspoon’s got comedic skills to spare but here she’s largely playing the straight woman to US TV star Chelsea Handler, a surprise highlight as Lauren’s pragmatic, zinger-laden best friend.
This Means War is a great film, while I would not class it as a ROM-COM or even a action comedy I would put it in the same field as I Love You Man.
The ending as has little be of action, which ties up the subplot running though the film. All in all, if you want to a good laugh this is well worth a watch.
I give this film 4 out of 5.
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Trish: Get out there! You get flexible!
Freak Art 
I was thinking when I saw the TV spots that this might be worth a watch. I’ll have to give it a try sometime. 🙂
It’s a fun film, My misses really liked it.
Not what we expected when we started to watch. but a fun film.