Movie Review: "The Heat"

Director Paul Feig and actress Melissa McCarthy had a tremendous hit on their hands with Kristen Wiig's hilarious comedy Bridesmaids. The film was one of the funniest comedies to hit the big screen in years and while Melissa McCarthy was sidelined to an (Oscar nominated) supporting role in that film, the idea of Feig putting the breakout star at the front of his follow up seemed too good to be true. Their latest film, The Heat, gives McCarthy plenty of time to shine and the actress gets to prove yet again how funny she can be. But The Heat also proves something else: that Kristen Wiig played a major part in Bridesmaids success.

The Heat is a tale as old as time- two cops, one straight laced and professional (Bullock) and one wild and edgy (McCarthy) are forced to team up and overcome their differences to become great partners and friends. But comedies are far from unpredictable and it's the responsibility of the screenwriter to make the story feel fresh or, at the very least, less stale. But writer Katie Dippold just can't bring that sort of energy to the screen. Even worse, The Heat doesn't develop its tired plot, instead using it simply as an outline to bridge together comedic moments. This same problem occurred with Bridesmaids- the funny scenes felt like long, hilarious sketches while the less comedic moments were essentially just there to fill in the blanks. But The Heat magnifies this problem. Whenever the film isn't trying to be funny, it half heartedly tries to further the plot and then quickly moves the characters to the next scene so they can make the audience laugh again. Not to mention that Bridesmaids had heart and was genuinely relatable. While the blossoming friendship between Bullock and McCarthy has it's sweet moments, they mostly feel manufactured.

The film also stumbles in the way it depicts violence. The Heat definitely tries to take its slim plot seriously, which is commendable, but the amount of violence in the film is awkward and off putting. While some scenes (at least try to) come off as funny, it's very hard to find something to laugh at when women are being tortured with knives and men are being shot in the testicles. The cast certainly tries their hardest to make us laugh, but it's not the brutal violence that's the problem: it's that brutal violence is out of place in this film. Bouncing back and forth between slapstick (characters being dropped in cars, having phone books thrown at them, etc.) and realistic violence just doesn't feel natural and gives off the impression that the writer and director were going for two very different tones.

But now I'm going to take my critic's hat off and just come out and say something: The Heat made me laugh. A lot. Comedy is clearly subjective and what I find funny others may not, but I think Melissa McCarthy is hilarious and she singlehandedly makes the film worth seeing. While some may accuse her of being a one-trick pony, I admire McCarthy's willingness to be savagely crude and foul mouthed while still managing to be charming and constantly likable. But she also brings a sense of seriousness to her part that most comedians lack. She's not playing her part as if she's a cartoon character- she takes her role seriously and gives her layers during the (cheesy and tacked on) serious moments. The rest of the cast is fine- Bullock specifically tries her hardest but is stuck (mostly) playing the straight man. But this is McCarthy's movie and she owns it.

I'm quite picky when it comes to comedies. So if a film makes me laugh as much as The Heat did, I think it's worth grading on a (slight) curve. The script is flawed and the story is hardly original, but Melissa McCarthy proves yet again just how much she brings to the table While I hope she starts to take more serious projects soon (I'd hate for her to become the female Adam Sandler) I have no problem giving this often funny film a mild recommendation. But if you're looking for a truly funny summer film, seek out This is the End. You'll go home much happier.

OVERALL GRADE: C+

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