This Means War (12A) ****

This Means War (12A) ****


Dir: McG


Starring: Tom Hardy, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon


Synopsis: Best friends Tuck and FDR are CIA agents who both fall for the same girl. They both date her at the same time, and try to sabotage each other using all the CIA hardware they can get their hands on with hilarious consequences.


Verdict: This Means War is a film that crosses the boundary between an action flick and a rom-com - something that is easily done but can also easily go wrong. Luckily, however, McG has done this successfully, creating something that kicks off with a healthy dose of gun fighting and revenge plots, which becomes a rom- com with extra spy flavour, before becoming an action film again.

Pine and Hardy give good performances as the two CIA agents who abuse their positions and use of government surveillance equipment to watch each other as they date the blonde protagonist. Both have proved themselves as having comical sides in previous films, as well as the tough-fighting guys, and the two come together in this brilliantly, playing off each other so well - Pine with his Kirk-ish arrogance and Hardy with his Brit-wit.

The pairs relationship is fun to watch from the onset when they are best friends, to them nearly hating each other with a passion, right back to loving each other again.

Witherspoon's Lauren is not the stereotypical girl in the this sort of movie either. She doesn't cringe and get all emotional at the drop of a hat like so many other females in the situation which is refreshing.

You also don't get back stories to a host of extra characters which makes a change - the only person whose story develops a bit is that of Lauren's friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) and the CIA agents who help with the spying provide some great comedy of their own.

This film is one for both the guys and the girls, with plenty of action to keep the blokes happy, slushy stuff for the girls, and healthy doses of comedy to keep both parties happy.