Movies.ie

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• Currently 2/5 Stars.

Movies.ie Critic Review

THIS MEANS WAR (USA/15A/97mins)

Directed by McG. Starring Tom Hardy. Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon, Til Schweiger, Chelsea Handler, John Paul Ruttan, Abigail Spencer, Angela Bassett, Rosemary Harris.

THE PLOT: Fellow CIA agents Tuck (Hardy) and FDR (Pine) are enjoying one hell of a fine bromance when the former – being the shy, retiring killer type – goes online to try and find someone special. Something the far from shy or retiring ladykiller FDR would never have to consider. When the successful but lonely Lauren (Witherspoon) meets up with Tuck, a flirtatious afternoon coffee leaves her floating on cloud nine. And straight into the quick-fire banter of FDR. Soon, she’s dating both men, taking all her advice from her craggy, unhappily-married best friend (the overpaid, foul-mouthed E! presenter Chelsea Handler)…

THE VERDICT: If Michael Bay made comedies, they may just come out like this. Slick, shiny and shallow, This Means War is more concerned with surface detail than subtle laughs. Or any kind of laughs, for that matter, other than the glaringly obvious. It doesn’t help that the love triangle offers up something of a skank dilemma, Lauren’s calculated two-timing coming across not so much as Yoko Ono but Heather Mills. The Hollywood Reporter reckons this Mr. & Mr. Smith dud is a candidate for the worst of 2012, but it’s not quite that dreadful. It is pretty damn bad though. RATING: 2/5

Review by Paul Byrne 

• Avg User rating
• Currently 2/5 Stars.

User Reviews

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  ssconnolly

  

  This Means War follows best friends and top government agents Tuck and FDR who after years of fighting international terrorists side by side find themselves squaring off against each other when both men fall for product tester Lauren. Marketed as an action packed romantic-comedy, This Means War is yet another near unwatchable romantic comedy which tries to hide the same old clichés and tired conventions of the genre with the promise of action, without putting any effort into it all. For a rom-com the film isn't very funny and I would go as far to say it is actively unromantic. Therefore the film really needed the action to save it, and this it did not. Early in the film a shoddily staged action film sets up a rather interesting subplot involving a dangerous international terrorist but they put that on the back burner for almost the entire film and it crops up for a handful of scenes. It tries to appeal to a wider audience by throwing a couple of shootouts and car chases into the trailer, but the few in the trailer were the only ones in the film. There is one action scene at the start, and another at the end and the rest is full of the same old gags that have been reused time and time again in films like this. The film has also been shoddily cast. Pine and Hardy are two actors capable of great things but neither got a chance to shine here. Pine has the kind of cocky charm these films require and fits in well, but Hardy looks incredibly out of place and is quite frankly too good an actor to be working with such sloppy material. Both handle the comedy well but not a lot of it is very good, and they are barely required to utilise their action experience. The pair didn't have much chemistry and were as unconvincing as best friends as they were convincing as rivals. And speaking of chemistry, neither has it with lead actress Reese Witherspoon who I don't feel is a very charming or funny actress, and the idea of these two men being so desperately in love with her just didn't make sense to me. So all in all This Means War is an action packed romantic comedy that isn't funny, exciting or romantic enough to be worth recommending. There are a couple of decent gags but not nearly enough, and the romance and action are all but abandoned for the majority. The poor casting, the shoddy script, the ridiculous ending… it's genuinely difficult to think of ways in which this film didn't fail. I am going to give it 2 stars, as I unfortunately must admit that I have seen a lot of far inferior rom-coms over the past few years. To be honest I'm shocked the genre isn't dead yet.

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  Onionhead

  

  Entertainment at its fluffiest but as a date movie with some genuine laughs, it works - just overlook the voyeuristic undertones and you'll have fun.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  tammyy2j

  

  Hardy and Pine have great chemistry and a good bromance but Wtherspoon seemed out of place in her role overall quite enjoyable

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  vu1999uk

  

  While a little slow to start, once it gets going it is an enjoyable enough watch with some nice laughs. But where it goes from a 3 star film to a 2 star film is the ending. Without giving anything away they get the ending completely wrong. But then again the ending was always going to divide opinion.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  Bigeamo

  

  I really enjoyed this one. All very likable, fun and light. A Rom-com that is a bit better the norm.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  blade803

  

  Really good fun, both Hardy and Pine have great on screen charisma, especially for having never acted alongside each other before, this isn't all about the action, yeah there is some in it, but it's basically about these 2 friends competing against each other for a woman, witherspoon is just irretating in this movie, she plays the usual blonde girl that she does in nearly every movie she is in, and they also ruin the movie slightly at then end, but nonetheless it's a very enjoyable movie with some good laughs along the way.

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  darthrodney

  

  Formulaic and by the numbers comedy action flick, funnily Pine and Hardy have more on screen charisma with each other than either has with Witherspoon! Some nice action set pieces and some good laughs scattered throughout and then the legally mandated Hollywood saccharine ending kicks in.

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  mell61

  

  Big, brash, loud and quite funny. Its never going to rewrite comedy or action movies, but not the worst popcorn movie out there.

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  mart

  

  While the premise had potential, the execution leaves a lot to be desired and strands three charismatic performers up on the screen trying to make something of it. They don't

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  filmbuff2011

  

  You're know what you're getting with a film by McG - something loud, empty-headed and more akin to cinematic fast food. This Means War stretches credibility with a plot that shouldn't even work in the movie world, let alone the real world. Two competitive CIA agents (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who seem to have plenty of time on their hands, go head-to-head as they try to win over the charms of Reese Witherspoon... like she's the only woman in Los Angeles. The playful banter and rapport between Pine and Hardy as they try to upstage each other is fun to watch, but Witherspoon is wasted in a role that's beneath her comedic talent. A lazy sub-plot is added in about a German bad guy, but there's no sense of any real danger. It's all completely predictable and Hollywood-manufactured. If you've seen the trailer, then you've pretty much seen the film.

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  Ellegibbons

  

  I enjoy ROM COM's but this was predictable, as you can imagine the best parts have been shown in the adverts. I rather see The VOW over this movie, I wouldnt class this as a ROM COM more a modern day money maker [with a spin on romance] such as 'friends with benefits, the bounty hunter, the ugly truth'. Note to Movie makers women still enjoy the classic Mr Darcy style movies where have they gone!