"Bro's before Ho's". Guys have been saying it forever, and the gals have used some version of it. Live the saying and friendships remain in-tact. Ditch it and, well...you get movies like This Means War. It's a romantic-comedy-action piece that attempts to bring a little bit of everything to everyone. Mission accomplished.
Meet Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). She's a market researcher and bonafide hottie. Of course, one would never know this judging from her date card, which is apparently quite empty. But, as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. Enter Tuck (Tom Hardy). He's a CIA operative, who also is really struggling with the dating scene. So, he turns to our friend the Internet. Unbenownest to Lauren, her friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) has created a profile for her. This simply means that Tuck and Lauren connect and are on their way to ecstatic bliss...but wait, there's more. Enter FDR (Chris Pine). He, too, is a CIA operative. Actually, he and Tuck are joined at the holster as literal blood brothers. That is, until FDR runs into Lauren. The two don't exactly connect. FDR is a player. Lauren has a little more substance. Players, however, are persistent and little by little, FDR slowly wins over our heroine. This sets up a battle of the two bro's over the ho'. Of course, in the midst of this love triangle, you've got a very bad man seeking revenge on the dirty rats that killed his brother. Yadayadayada...Tuck and FDR use all means of espionage at their disposal to interrupt each other's love lives as the oblivious Lauren struggles to narrow her her love nest to one.
It's pretty entertaining. I'll go with 3.5 Stars. It is what it is--so, don't go into this one ready to over-think it and you'll probably enjoy it. This Means War is, at times, laugh out loud funny. Plus, as mentioned previously, it's a flick that tries to be a bit of everything to everyone. With that in mind, you've got plenty of action for the testosterone charged fellas and romance for the 'ooohhh...ahhh' ladies. Keep in mind, it was released on Valentine's Day with a clear combo of cupid and crashes. And don't forget Lauren's friend Trish (Chelsea Handler), who provides a ton of comedic relief every step of the way.
With all of the accolades, I did have a few issues. Yeah sure, there are some missed opportunities comedically speaking--mainly because you've got 'action' actors trying to pull off the funny, which is a challenge these two didn't quite completely rise too. More than that, however, I had problems with some production value issues. One moment really stands out, including an obvious green screen shot in a scene in which you just don't typically see a green screen--a shot where Tuck is dropping off his son, which was obviously a fake.
All in all, it's a fun movie. See it BIG or rent it--kinda up to your mood and what you're looking for, as there is a lot of options out there. If you're itching for that romantic-action-comedy...This Means War will not disappoint.
True...OUT!
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