The Heat

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
The Heat
Released 6/28/13, now in theaters

Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy plunge headlong into the buddy cop genre in this week's action-comedy, The Heat.  Directed by Bridesmaids', Paul Feig, from a screenplay by Parks and Recreations writer, Katie Dippold, could there be enough comedic pedigree to add something new to an extremely formulaic genre? Or, is The Heat destined to be another throwaway film with nothing interesting to say?

Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) is a bright star in the FBI.  She's smart, intuitive, and efficient.  She is by the book almost to a fault.  She has cleared more high profile cases than any other agent out of the New York office.  Unfortunately for her career, she's also not well liked.  Ashburn is also not quite promotable in the eyes of her superior officer.  But, he's willing to reconsider if Ashburn agrees to go to Boston to track down a mysterious drug kingpin named Julian.

Boston Detective Shannon Mullins (McCarthy) does nothing by the book.  She's violent, borderline psychotic to some, and extremely foul-mouthed.  But, she's also quite effective at what she does.  Like Ashburn, she has no friends and is not well liked within her department (or maybe everyone is just plain afraid of her). 

When Mullins makes what is seemingly a routine drug collar, she's infuriated when Ashburn comes to town and interrogates him believing Mullins' collar has a connection to Julian.  Mullins forces her way into the larger investigation much to Ashburn's chagrin.  The two ladies bicker incessantly, but, despite all their differences, they are very effective tracking leads to Julian.  That is, until a mole within either the Bureau, DEA, or Boston P.D. threatens to destroy the investigation from within along with the two law enforcement officers hot on the kingpin's trail.

The Heat doesn't have much to add to the buddy cop theme.  You've seen this story before.  Two people forced to work together who are like oil and water.  They don't get along.  Actually, they hate each other.  After working together for awhile, they develop a liking and mutual respect for each other just in time to defeat the bad guy.  The end.  See, nothing new here.

But what makes The Heat work more than most others is the way McCarthy and Bullock riff off each other so seamlessly and hilariously.  I've said before that it's hard for Melissa McCarthy not to be funny.  What I found a little surprising was the way Sandra Bullock's straight-laced Fed character was able to keep up with her without missing a beat.  In fact, this is one of the best onscreen pairings in a buddy cop movie that I've seen since Nolte and Murphy in the first 48 Hours.  Call me crazy (and you probably will), but I thought these two were that good.

Other notable performers in The Heat include Michael Rappaport as Mullins' brother who is trying to go straight, Marlon Wayans as an FBI agent who takes a liking to Ashburn, and Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as a Bulgarian drug supplier.  All add some funny notes to the plot.

While the plot of the movie is nothing to write home about, McCarthy and Bullock strike all the right chords and make what could have been a colossal waist of time into one of the more enjoyable movies I've seen this year.

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

***3/4 stars

Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.