As you know, I'm not a fan romantic comedies but I like Reese Witherspoon, I have a crush on Chris Pine since I was twelve and Tom Hardy, well, he's hot, so, after putting it off literally for years, I finally gave This Means War a chance.
The story follows two CIA agents who are also best friends, Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pine), as they hit the dating scene after being benched because an international criminal, Karl Heinrich (Til Schweiger) is after them. While the first tries online dating, the latter goes for the old "picking up a lonely woman at video store" approach, and they both meet Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a product-testing executive with no luck in love. When the two friends find out they are dating the same woman, they begin to compete with one another to win her.
The storyline alone should be enough to keep people away from this but if you are weak like me and watch anything, any sort of crap for actors you like, then you'll find yourself barely entertained by This Means War's predictable and unexciting plot filled with holes, clichés, non-clever twists and a subplot involving a German terrorist —because Germans still are the bad guys, no matter if the story is not set during WWII— that is completely wasted and adds absolutely nothing to the whole thing.
The writers didn't put a lot of thought into the characters either so all the film has to offer is shallow, clichéd characters who, if it wasn't for the actors playing them, wouldn't even be that likeable. Not to mention the number of dumb things the three main characters, especially Tuck and FDR, do throughout the film considering that they are supposed to be smart, brilliant people. It's like watching a group of retarded morons.
As I said above though, the cast does a fairly good job. Chris Pine is charming as usual as the ladies' man, and Tom Hardy also shines charisma as the desperate, divorced single father. Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, gives a pretty flat performance as the woman craving for love and eventually getting the attention of two hot men. Chelsea Handler provides good support as Lauren's constantly horny best friend. Yes, that's all the characterization these people have.
Unfortunately, the cast is pretty much the only good thing about This Means War as the dialogue is pretty awful, the banter feels forced, the jokes are predictable and fall flat most of the time, and the action scenes lack suspense and excitement —there are fights, chases and explosions, but it's all so bland, uninspired.
The storyline alone should be enough to keep people away from this but if you are weak like me and watch anything, any sort of crap for actors you like, then you'll find yourself barely entertained by This Means War's predictable and unexciting plot filled with holes, clichés, non-clever twists and a subplot involving a German terrorist —because Germans still are the bad guys, no matter if the story is not set during WWII— that is completely wasted and adds absolutely nothing to the whole thing.
The writers didn't put a lot of thought into the characters either so all the film has to offer is shallow, clichéd characters who, if it wasn't for the actors playing them, wouldn't even be that likeable. Not to mention the number of dumb things the three main characters, especially Tuck and FDR, do throughout the film considering that they are supposed to be smart, brilliant people. It's like watching a group of retarded morons.
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| 20th Century Fox |
As I said above though, the cast does a fairly good job. Chris Pine is charming as usual as the ladies' man, and Tom Hardy also shines charisma as the desperate, divorced single father. Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, gives a pretty flat performance as the woman craving for love and eventually getting the attention of two hot men. Chelsea Handler provides good support as Lauren's constantly horny best friend. Yes, that's all the characterization these people have.
Unfortunately, the cast is pretty much the only good thing about This Means War as the dialogue is pretty awful, the banter feels forced, the jokes are predictable and fall flat most of the time, and the action scenes lack suspense and excitement —there are fights, chases and explosions, but it's all so bland, uninspired.
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