The Heat Review

Rated R (Pervasive Language, Strong Crude Content and Some Violence)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 57 Minutes

Cast-

Sandra Bullock-FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn

Melissa McCarthy-Detective Shannon Mullins

Demián Bichir-FBI Director Hale

Marlon Wayans-FBI Agent Levy

Michael McDonald-Julian

Dan Bakkedahl-DEA Agent Craig

Taran Killam-DEA Agent Adam

Michael Rapaport-Jason Mullins

John A. Baker Jr./Spoken Reasons-Terell Rojas

Thomas F. Wilson-Captain Woods

Adam Ray-Hank LeSoire

Jane Curtin-Mrs. Mullins

Michael Tucci-Mr. Mullins

Joey McIntyre-Peter Mullins

Nathan Corddry-Michael Mullins

Jessica Chaffin-Gina

Jamie Denbo-Beth

Tony Hale-The John

Kaitlin Olson-Tatiana

Directed by Paul Feig

This is Boston's finest.

Note: Screened on Sunday, June 23, 2013 at the Ziegfeld Theater (Red Carpet Premiere).

Released two summers ago in 2011, the R-rated, Judd Apatow-produced, Paul Feig-directed comedy "Bridesmaids" not only went on to earn critical and commercial success (90% on Rotten Tomatoes, $288.4 million worldwide) but also managed to nab two Academy Award nominations (Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress), an all-too rare feat for the often-overlooked genre. Comedy films have long been dominated by men so it was quite refreshing to see one that was more female-centric. In fact, seeing "Bridesmaids" became something of a social responsibility because women are sadly still underrepresented in Hollywood. According to a recent study conducted by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, women only comprised a mere 28.4% out of 4,475 speaking roles for the top-100 grossing films of 2012—less than in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. That's frankly disappointing. Hopefully, this trend will reverse in the near-future because women have as much right as men to make us laugh, perhaps even more so. With "Bridesmaids" being such a smashing success, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Feig is trying to make lightning strike twice with his latest film "The Heat," starring America's sweetheart Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, who's certainly come a long way since "Gilmore Girls." Originally set to be released back in April, initial test screenings were so positive that it convinced 20th Century Fox to delay the film to summer and green-light a sequel at the same time! Well, it looks like the studio's confidence wasn't misplaced as "The Heat" turns out to be a crowd-pleasing, hilarious comedy thanks to the clever pairing of Bullock and McCarthy, although as far as buddy cop films go, it's still same-old, same-old.

Hoping to receive a big promotion, straight-laced and career-driven FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) accepts a new assignment from her superior Hale (Demián Bichir) to take down a ruthless drug lord named Simon Larkin in Boston. Ashburn's investigation quickly leads her to small-time street dealer Terell Rojas (John A. Baker Jr./Spoken Reasons) but her progress on the case comes to a screeching halt when she runs into the sloppy and foul-mouthed Boston PD Detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy). The two immediately find themselves at each other's throats due to their oversized egos and different approaches when it comes to being officers of the law. Their tremendous friction even earns the ire of DEA agents Craig (Dan Bakkedahl) and Adam (Taran Killam), who just so happens to be working on the same case. Ashburn and Mullins soon realize that they'll have to put aside their differences if they want to take down Larkin and earn the respect of their disapproving colleagues.

Buddy cop films such as the classic "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Lethal Weapon" are a dime a dozen but all of them feature male leads while the women are reduced to being damsels-in-distress. Like "Bridesmaids," the fact that Paul Feig's "The Heat" has female lead characters represents a breath of fresh air for the well-worn, male-dominated subgenre but that's pretty much where originality ends as the script from "Parks and Recreation" writer Katie Dippold is awfully formulaic. Ashburn and Mullins are both outcasts whose unorthodox methods often put them at odds with their superiors (although Ashburn is more polite about her disagreements) but they're damned good at their jobs and prove to be nearly unstoppable once they learn to work together. The fact that they eventually realize how much they need each other is not even a spoiler—it's a foregone conclusion. However, the film does add one little wrinkle to the formula by acknowledging that part of the reason Ashburn and Mullins are outcasts is because they're women. 'I know we’re not supposed to say it, but being a woman in this field is tough,' remarks a burnt-out Ashburn as she bonds with Mullins over multiple shots of vodka. Despite being the smartest person in the room, Ashburn's male co-workers often dismiss her assumptions and find her to be arrogant and competitive every time she proves herself to be right. Mullins may be an excessive loudmouth but her dedication to her job has no equal. When was the last time you saw a police officer chase down a perp by throwing a watermelon at him? Hell, before Mullins even arrests a man (Tony Hale in a welcome cameo) for soliciting a prostitute, she takes his phone and calls his wife first!

Of course, the real highlight with Feig's film is watching Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy butt heads due to their characters' overly mismatched personalities. McCarthy's role isn't far removed from her turns in "Bridesmaids" and February's horrid "Identity Thief" but what makes Mullins' abrasive attitude so endearing is that she genuinely cares about making a difference, even when she's mocking her captain (an appropriately exasperated Thomas F. Wilson) of having 'tiny girl balls, if little girls had balls.' Compared to other female comics, McCarthy ranks as one of the best and funniest thanks to her ability to make every word that comes out her mouth feel completely improvised on the spot. Bullock's Ashburn will remind some viewers of Gracie Hart from 2000's "Miss Congeniality" yet we've never quite seen the actress let loose in an R-rated comedy before. Watching the uptight and bumbling FBI agent finally crack and call her male co-workers 'sh*t jerk dick fu*kers' left me laughing in my seat because we're not used to seeing Bullock behaving this way and she's clearly having a lot of fun. Her excellent chemistry with McCarthy elevates the stale script, although certain jokes do fall flat or go on too long. At 117 minutes, Feig could've also been a little more judicious in the editing room but even when "The Heat" starts to sag in the middle, it still manages to remain consistently funny.

With Bullock and McCarthy dominating the film, the rest of the supporting cast is unfortunately wasted in one-note roles. Demián Bichir's character could've been played by virtually anyone while Marlon Wayans is nothing more than the token love interest for Bullock (which is rather ironic when you think about it). As one of the central villains, "Mad TV" alum Michael McDonald tries to come off as menacing but feels more like a pushover. Dan Bakkedahl and Taran Killam is by far the film's weakest links; the air literally gets sucked out of the room whenever they appear. Michael Rapaport pops in as one of the Mullins brothers but it's obvious that he's only on-hand to pick up a paycheck. Only Tony Hale and Kaitlin Olson (from FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") manage to make the most of their bit roles.

Released on June 28, 2013, "The Heat" has received largely positive reviews with 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it was 'predictable, but Melissa McCarthy is reliably funny and Sandra Bullock proves a capable foil.' It's definitely a crowd-pleasing film and audience reception was quite enthusiastic during the red carpet premiere this past Sunday. 20th Century Fox's confidence is paying off in a big way as the film is currently selling 50% more tickets than "Bridesmaids" at the same point, which means it's looking at a $35 to $40 million gross over opening weekend at the box office. "The Heat" doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to the buddy cop subgenre and it relies on its two leads a little too much to carry the film but it succeeds in what a comedy should do. If the already green-lit sequel maintains or even ups the laughs, we may just have a new franchise on our hands.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"Hey, has anyone seen the Captain's balls? Let me know! They're about this big. They're like really, really tiny little girl balls, if little girls had balls."