Chris Pine and Tom Hardy portray a pair of CIA operatives
and best friends who happen to fall for the same girl, Reese Witherspoon's
Lauren. Lauren is strong and confident at work but romantically indecisive. This Means War is a film rife with
comedy, which is what I'd expect from such a cast. Additionally, McG, the director
behind such films as Charlie's Angels
and Terminator Salvation, doesn't veer
too far from the type of story we've come to associate him with.
Let's face it, the plot's predictable, but the script is
amusing enough to save the film from falling flat. The performances are
individually decent, but Witherspoon's Lauren is extremely undeveloped. Her
interactions with her best friend, played by Chelsea Handler, are pretty
amusing, portraying an entirely different character than the one being wooed by
Pine and Hardy. I wish she had a bit more of a spine in several situations,
particularly since both of her love interests grossly invade her privacy to the
extent of placing surveillance cameras in her home. She took that extremely
well. Pine and Hardy"˜s interactions seem a little forced at times, and their
willingness to cross the privacy line is a bit disturbing.
The flaw in this film is that the opening sequence doesn't match
the overall story. It could have worked had McG tied the dating dual and spy action
in more tightly. The spy/danger aspect seemed like a bit of an afterthought and
a means to a specific end.
Despite the issues with the plot and performances, This Means War is still a highly
entertaining film. Just temper your expectations "“ this isn't going to be some
groundbreaking romantic comedy.
