It's not easy to break into the male-dominated genre of buddy cop movies.
Sorry ladies, that realm is under the strict supervision of Murtaugh and Riggs,
and every other film that has tried to emulate the
Lethal Weapon formula
has brought more testosterone than estrogen. But if there are two women who can
break the mold it's Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in
The Heat, a
frequently raucous retro cop comedy that overstays its welcome but makes the
most of its two stars.
Neither Bullock nor McCarthy is stretching themselves here, but do we really
want them to? Cop comedies are well-worn territory for Bullock after two hugely
successful
Miss Congeniality films, and as FBI Special Agent Sarah
Ashburn she plays another socially inept officer fighting for respect from her
male peers. McCarthy, reteaming with
Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, is
tough-as-nails, borderline psychotic Boston cop Shannon Mullins. Ashburn is
uptight and pretentious; Mullins is gruff and wildly erratic. Of course they'd
make perfect partners!
The mismatched pair are forced together to stop a random drug lord, but
seriously the case they're working makes no difference. This is little more
than an excuse for McCarthy and Bullock to show off their comedic skills, and
together they have an irresistible madcap energy. McCarthy, who has a knack for
lovable lunatic roles like no other, beats down perps left and right, points
guns at men's crotches, and bullies her poor police chief (Biff from the
Back
to the Future flicks) until he's old and grey. Her crass, downright vulgar
antics are a perfect foil for the quietly loopy Bullock, who when called upon
in a rip-roaring bar scene, proves she's every bit the physical comedian as
McCarthy. The chemistry between the two is impeccable and it's obvious they
were having way too good of a time.
The punchy and vulgar script by
Parks & Recreation vet Katie
Dippold throws one joke after the next without taking much of a breath, with
far more hits than misses. There are no surprises to be found here, though.
The
Heat wears its genre trappings on its sleeve. There are no big action
sequences, no criminal mastermind worth caring about, and even a potential love
interest (Marlon Wayans) for Ashburn doesn't amount to much. The film begins to
overstay its welcome as it strains to give the cops a crime to actually fight,
and we're introduced to other characters that are more irritating than
interesting. Primarily, a subplot involving Mullins' unruly family screams of
time filler, although it does give us the chance to see the great Jane Curtain
in action again. Always a pleasure.
Feig is smart enough to give his two actresses room to maneuver and riff off
one another, and only occasionally does he let it go on a tad too long. It's
doubtful he'll be taking McCarthy to another Oscar nomination, but at least
he's given her a funnier, less insulting role than she had in
Identity Thief.
There's every chance we'll be seeing more of
The Heat, because every
buddy cop film gets a sequel, right? Multiple sequels, usually. So don't be
surprised to see
The Heat With A Vengeance coming to a theater near you,
because Bullock and McCarthy have proven they can more than stand up to the big
boys.
Neither Bullock nor McCarthy is stretching themselves here, but do we really
want them to? Cop comedies are well-worn territory for Bullock after two hugely
successful Miss Congeniality films, and as FBI Special Agent Sarah
Ashburn she plays another socially inept officer fighting for respect from her
male peers. McCarthy, reteaming with Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, is
tough-as-nails, borderline psychotic Boston cop Shannon Mullins. Ashburn is
uptight and pretentious; Mullins is gruff and wildly erratic. Of course they'd
make perfect partners!
The mismatched pair are forced together to stop a random drug lord, but
seriously the case they're working makes no difference. This is little more
than an excuse for McCarthy and Bullock to show off their comedic skills, and
together they have an irresistible madcap energy. McCarthy, who has a knack for
lovable lunatic roles like no other, beats down perps left and right, points
guns at men's crotches, and bullies her poor police chief (Biff from the Back
to the Future flicks) until he's old and grey. Her crass, downright vulgar
antics are a perfect foil for the quietly loopy Bullock, who when called upon
in a rip-roaring bar scene, proves she's every bit the physical comedian as
McCarthy. The chemistry between the two is impeccable and it's obvious they
were having way too good of a time.
The punchy and vulgar script by Parks & Recreation vet Katie
Dippold throws one joke after the next without taking much of a breath, with
far more hits than misses. There are no surprises to be found here, though. The
Heat wears its genre trappings on its sleeve. There are no big action
sequences, no criminal mastermind worth caring about, and even a potential love
interest (Marlon Wayans) for Ashburn doesn't amount to much. The film begins to
overstay its welcome as it strains to give the cops a crime to actually fight,
and we're introduced to other characters that are more irritating than
interesting. Primarily, a subplot involving Mullins' unruly family screams of
time filler, although it does give us the chance to see the great Jane Curtain
in action again. Always a pleasure.
Feig is smart enough to give his two actresses room to maneuver and riff off
one another, and only occasionally does he let it go on a tad too long. It's
doubtful he'll be taking McCarthy to another Oscar nomination, but at least
he's given her a funnier, less insulting role than she had in Identity Thief.
There's every chance we'll be seeing more of The Heat, because every
buddy cop film gets a sequel, right? Multiple sequels, usually. So don't be
surprised to see The Heat With A Vengeance coming to a theater near you,
because Bullock and McCarthy have proven they can more than stand up to the big
boys.
