REVIEW: This Means War

Directed by McG, the man who produced The O.C., you can tell from the second you see the posters or the trailer that it’s going to be a chick flick.

However, if you add the fact that McG also produced Chuck, then you can be aware that you’re going to have a very clever, well-executed chick flick on your hands, with a little something for the boys to enjoy too. This is seemingly a good thing, as the cinema is filled with boyfriends sat next to their partners twiddling their thumbs.

The plot is simple yet incredibly effective, with masses of room for comedy. Two FBI agents who are partners and best friends (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) end up dating the same girl (Reese Witherspoon). Inevitably, the surveillance of one another’s dates descends into sabotage. Add a side plot of a criminal seeking revenge against the two and it makes for an entertaining, action-packed film, even if it is slightly predictable.

The casting itself was hit-and-miss. Whilst Pine is everything you would expect him to be, smart, slick and sexy, and Hardy is given the job of playing a loveable father, a ‘safe bet’, you can’t help but feel there is chemistry missing between the two of them. Though their close relationship becomes more obvious towards the end, the feeling of die-hard partners isn’t there. This is not a Starsky and Hutch job at all. As for Witherspoon, her character suits her down to the ground, and her chemistry with both Hardy and Pine is perfect, leaving you on the edge of your seat as to which man she’ll choose in the end, if any.

For a 12A rating, there was one thing I wasn’t quite betting on: the casting of Chelsea Handler, the American comedienne, as Witherspoon’s best friend. Whilst I’m no prude, some of the vulgarities, although they were humorous, were a touch unnecessary (do twelve year olds want to hear about the combination of sex and Cheetos in a cinema next to their parents?), and the innuendos and physical comedy portrayed by the love triangle trio were, I felt, more effective and more suitable for the rating.

There’s definitely something for the boys, too. If Reese Witherspoon in her underwear doesn’t float your boat, then the action sequences are crafted brilliantly. From the glitzy bar scenes, the strip-club fight or the car chase finale, this film has a little something for everyone. Unfortunately for all you special effects nuts out there the CGI maps will get on your nerves and, sometimes, the lighting isn’t quite suited to the scenes. But, unless you’re being overly critical (like I was) then you’ll barely notice it.

Overall, This Means War has a loveable plot with some good acting and it’s filled with funny moments, regardless of your preference in humour. There’s a little bit of something to keep everyone happy, so, if it’s a rainy day or you’ve got a spare fiver, it’s definitely worth a watch.

A word of warning; be prepared for an incredibly airbrushed Reese Witherspoon. She’s definitely not in Legally Blonde anymore.

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