Susan Granger’s review of “The Heat” (20th Century-Fox)
From the creator of “Bridesmaids,” this new R-rated cop comedy tackles the macho buddy-action
genre that goes back to “Lethal Weapon,” “48 Hours” and “Bad Boys.”
Arrogant, ambitious Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is a hard-driving, by-the-books New York City-based FBI agent whose investigation of a murder takes her to Boston, where she butts heads with boisterous, brusque, Beantown detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), who’s also working the case. Neither has ever had a partner before and they repeatedly misunderstand one another. Yet they bond as they relentlessly pursue the dastardly drug kingpin. Despite their abrasively combative personalities, they complement each other and – what’s more important – as they kick ass, they become friends.
Screenwriter Katie Dippold (NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”) supplies plenty of sneering, cringe-worthy sexist comments and raunchy, profane dialogue, destined to provoke raucous laughter within this definitively female-centric environment. Crowd-pleasing director Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”) plays with the simplistic, stereotypical, supportive camaraderie, buoyed by the obvious chemistry between these two gutsy professionals who have chosen career over family and kids.
While the clichéd, odd-couple bantering is good, the pacing at times is ‘way off, particularly
during the drunken bar scene and the graphic emergency tracheotomy. And there are far too many Albino gags. Marlon Wayans adds surprising depth in a non-comedic role; Tom Wilson, Demian Bichir, Jane Curtin, Michael Rapaport and Tony Hale lend support; while Jamie Denbo and
Jessica Chaffin (members of the L.A.-based troupe Uptight Citizens Brigade) drive home some of the sight gags.
It’s significant that both Sandra Bullock (“Miss Congeniality”) and Melissa McCarthy (“The Identity Thief”) are over 40 – a demographic often ignored by filmmakers. Riffing off the Spanx scene, they openly rebel against the Hollywood’s poised perfection standard. And both are obviously talented comediennes, balancing outrageous improv with tender, serious moments.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Heat” generates a scruffy, snarky, slapstick 6. A sequel is already in the works and, hopefully, it won’t be so formulaic.
