Friday is shaping up as an interesting night in box office history. Paul Feig’s female buddy cop comedy “The Heat” looks like it’s going to take “White House Down” down. First of all, “The Heat” is far better reviewed. It has a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. “WHD” meantime has a 50%. And that’s it’s high mark. It’s been lower.
Our own LEAH SYDNEY loved it. Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy are are going to give Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum a run for their money. Here’s what she reports back:
Prepare to have a grin on your face for two hours as two gifted actresses/comediennes– the always game powerhouse Melissa McCarthy and the ever quippy Sandra Bullock– are highly entertaining in the estrogen version of the buddy comedy, “The Heat.” Melissa pays a filthy mouthed Boston cop who is fearless in her take no prisoners’ attitude, which extends to her family, including her perpetually messed up brother, played by the always-reliable Michael Rappaport. Sandra plays a prim perfectionist FBI agent who has her own difficult history. Their instant combativeness/affection set the tone for consistent laughs throughout the film.
The plot is simple; the ladies are chasing the drug dealer bad guys. These gifted gals milk everything they can with their expert timing, pitch perfect chemistry and the truly clever and funny bone script by Katie Dippold doesn’t hurt. Director Paul Feig, who helmed the McCarthy hit “Bridesmaids” two summers ago, again deftly handles these two ladies throughout their many adventures, from an undercover night of drinking, to being caught and tied up by the bad guys and extricating themselves from that.
McCarthy is fearless in her willingness to do whatever it takes to get to the funny and her in your face comedy works perfectly with Sandra’s appealing self-deprecation. Where so many of these so called summer comedies just seem slapped together, ‘Heat’ stands out for just being bottom line, really funny, and smart. You know this is the first of many episodes in these ladies’ lives. Kudos to Sandra Bullock. She is literally the mother of career reinvention.
