This Means War (2011)
Certified: 14
Duration: 97 minutes
Directed by: McG
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Til Schweiger, Chelsea Handler, John Paul Ruttan, Abigail Spencer, Leela Sayasta, Laura Vandervoort
KRS release
Reese Witherspoon is fought over by two best friends in This Means War. Yet this fight comes with a difference.
(the leading actors) turn clichés on their head and provide the movie with an appealing element which goes beyond its cool factor- Johan Galea
Chris Pine and Tom Hardy play FDR and Tuck two CIA agents who are covert operations specialists hunting down Heinrich (Til Schweiger), a hardened criminal, in LA. Off duty the two are very different from one other.
Tuck is a divorced father with a young son who is trying to get back into the dating world. FDR, on the other hand, is a veritable playboy who always steers away from any kind of commitment.
Tuck tries out online dating and is matched with Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) . The latter gets a good impression of Tuck, not so much of FDR whom she meets by coincidence. However, he is smitten by her.
The two guys soon realise they are interested in the same girl; and that is when the competition begins. They ultimately want her to choose between them and a list of rules is written down.
Complications inevitably ensue as Lauren has no knowledge of what either of them does for a living.
This slick and polished film, directed by McG, uses the same formula of The Bounty Hunter, The Ugly Truth and Killers but gives the stars more space in which to shine. It’s a mix between a romantic comedy and a buddy movie which usually tips towards the rom-com’s side but the balance overall is kept throughout, with an added cheery attitude. The film’s script is characterised by its inner tug of war, alternating between choosing to focus on the next kiss, swoon or right action moment.
It is very entertaining to watch Chris Pine and Tom Hardy trying to outdo one another as they try to woo Reese Witherspoon while simultaneously trying to foil each other’s chances.
Yet boys will be boys, and the whole deal becomes more of a competition than a quest for an actual prize…with Ms Witherspoon being just an excuse.
McG, the director behind movies such as Terminator Salvation and Charlie’s Angels, presents the action in an over-the-top style very much akin to that used in Charlie’s Angels. This is all about “cool” rather than feasibility or plausibility.
It’s in the hands of the three leading actors to bring the charm to the fore – they turn clichés on their head and provide the movie with an appealing element which goes beyond its cool factor.
Ms Witherspoon’s chemistry with both actors seems to be on a par and as such we are never really sure with whom she should end up.
This Means War is aimed fair and square at a young audience who will best appreciate the movie’s style of music, action, style and, most of all, fun.