The Heat

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The Heat
Starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans
Directed by Paul Feig

FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is an extremely effective investigator, but she does not work well with others due to her arrogance.  Her boss sends her to Boston to investigate a drug kingpin known as Larkin and, if she can work with the Boston investigators, will receive a promotion.

Upon arriving in Boston, she meets her new partner, the no-nonsense Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), who follows her own set of rules and is extremely foul-mouthed and rebellious, the complete opposite of Ashburn. 

As the two women clash over differences, they begin to learn to work together and use their different strengths to their advantage as they track down Larkin, even as Larkin has his eyes set on them.

Back in 1988, a movie called "Feds" starring Rebecca De Mornay and Mary Gross hit theaters, and it was a bomb.  No female cop buddy comedies were released after that until "The Heat," and the times have certainly changed.  "The Heat" grossed over $158 million domestically and became one of the breakout comedy hits of 2013. 

There are several reasons why "The Heat" was such a hit.  One is the brilliant paring of Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, both Academy Award nominees and both having stellar credentials in the field of comedic movies.  The chemistry between the two is red hot, and they work off each other extremely well and almost flawlessly.  Another reason it did so well was the leading of the director, Paul Feig, known for directing another surprise summer comedy hit, "Bridesmaids."  Another reason was the writing, which was crisp, well delivered and contained several hilarious zingers, some you might miss because you were laughing so hard at something said previously.

Is the story predictable?  Yes.  And in some cases that can break a film, but with the high pedigree in "The Heat," you don't really care, you just sit back and enjoy the ride of hilarity.

My Rating: A

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