The Heat

The Heat, the latest film from director Paul Feig is an uproarious, crass, hard outer shell movie with a soft gooey center. It will make you laugh until you cry and though the story line is wafer thin, and it requires no real brainpower to understand, it is thoroughly entertaining. Because of that, I give The Heat three buckets of Killer Korn.





Let's be honest, the only reason The Heat got made was because of director Paul Feig's last film. The was the surprising hit Bridesmaids which cost only $32.5 million dollars and earned a whopping $169 million at the box office, and that only happened because of one person and it wasn't Kristen Wiig. It was because of Melissa McCarthy, and it seems Paul knew this and that is probably the primary reason he chose to work with her again. Melissa can apparently carry a film on her broad shoulders clear across the finish line without even breathing heavy. With her playing the caustic and abrasive funny person to Sandra Bullock's straight laced, buttoned up, and proper character, to the studios I am certain they saw this movie as a gold mine. They were right, The Heat has already made it money back, and it seems like it's not about to stop raking it in at the box office anytime soon.

The story is super simple. FBI agent Ashburn, played by Sandra Bullock needs to head up to Boston to help the local authorities up there crack a major drug ring. Boston detective Mullins, played by Melissa McCarthy is a no nonsense, take no prisoners or bullshit kind of cop, which is made so painfully honest within the first five minutes of her character on screen. She busts a man propositioning a prostitute, then calls his wife while breaking his hand to inform her of what her husband is doing. Ashburn refuses to curse and wants to go by the book while Mullins can't seem to utter a sentence without threatening someone or cursing at them. Another hilarious scene is where she's looking for her police Captain Wood's balls. He's played by Thomas F. Wilson (of Back to the Future fame), Marlon Wayans stars as FBI agent Levy, who comes across as "desperate lackey" at first, hoping for a date with Ashburn, but eventually finds HIS balls and becomes a pretty decent character. Missing in action Michael Rapaport plays Mullins' brother and who has been recently released from hail and is in up to his neck in trouble with the drug gang. All Mullins wants to do is keep him safe, which is the reason she arrested him in the first place.

Jane Curtain, yes THAT Jane Curtain from SNL days makes an appearance as Mullins' mother, the mother of a breed of misfits. Melissa's Mullins happens to be the misfit of that merry band of misfits for locking up her own brother, but it's through him that will allow Ashburn and Mullins to crack the case. That is, after they drink themselves blind and carouse in a particular bar that only seems to cater to the burnt out and the elderly. I don't think Paul did much direction to be honest here, I think he just pointed the camera at these two women and said "go for it" more times than not. The DVD outtakes will be hilarious I'm sure. Demian Bichir plays Hale, Ashburn's boss, Spoken Reasons plays small time drug dealer Rojas, and the hilarious Michael McDonald plays Julian, the supposed leader of the drug gang.

There is nothing visually arresting about The Heat, and there wasn't much of a score, unless you call almost nonstop pop music a score. No, there is nothing exceptional about this movie, except the two leads. Sandra and Melissa bring down the house, and at the rate this movie is raking in the money, be on the lookout for either "More Heat", or "Hotter" (The Heat II just sounds lame). If you need a good laugh, don't mind the F word (or the S word, or the MF word, or the...you get what I mean), and you don't want to think too much then go see The Heat and laugh your ass off. I did, and you will too, and I'll see you at the theater.