A know-it-all FBI agent, a Boston cop who has a personal grudge against hygiene, a Russian drug mob (of course), plus throw in an chauvinistic albino, a muy caliente FBI boss, a Wayans brother, Joey McIntyre (I don’t know why) and a slew of genius SNL casting spots and you got yourself the Heat. The female buddy cop comedy is the first of its sort from Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) and arguably the first of its kind in a genre dominated by men. The movie is led by comedy genius Sandra Bullock as FBI agent with a long rod up her bottom, Sarah Ashburn, and firecracker Melissa McCarthy as the f-word bombing, grungy Boston cop Shannon Mullins. Ashburn, an intelligent, driven yet obnoxious and universally hated agent gets assigned to Boston as a final test for a promotion from her boss. There she meets–and wrestles with–Mullins, who for all her crazy antics and civilian beating will make you wonder if she really is a cop. The two slip and stumble over their strong initial dislike of each other but eventually seal a diplomatic truce to break the case of Larkin, a Russian drub mobster who has been slicing and dicing (not in a fun way) all the small dealers in town to get monopoly of the business.
It is a comedy of errors and contrasts, with a few socio-political swipes at female equality in the testosterone-fueled workplace, and has a predictably happy ending plot. In a few adequately cheesy bits, we get a glimpse of Ashburn’s sad childhood (which explains a lot) and Mullins’ 110% dysfunctional yet loving family. There were guns–lots of them–blown up cars, and a drunk dancing montage at a shady bar. Though not perfect, the movie succeeds in what I would surmise is its main goal–getting the audience to crawl on all floors laughing. Bullock is always smart and pitch perfect in comedies, and McCarthy is a rising star in the form of a careening bulldozer. My favorite scene is when McCarthy’s Mullins was looking for her Captain’s balls. And really, you just have to see it to believe it.
Hit play for a sneak peek below:
Photo and video credits to owner.
