The Heat

The Heat (2013)
Directed by: Paul Feig
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%

Hello Film Fans!

Sorry it's been awhile since my last review. I proposed to my girlfriend of four and a half years two weeks ago so we have been busy. I will probably start doing more new RedBox/Netflix films more often than theatrical films (gots to budget properly, ya know?), but there are definitely some big ones I will be seeing (Wolverine, Thor, others...). This past Saturday, Katie and I went and saw TWO movies for the price of one courtesy of the Starlight Drive In Theater. This review will be of The Heat and the second one will be for This Is the End. Also, a little note about the image for this review: I refuse to use that awfully butchered theatrical poster. Melissa McCarthy looks like a ghost and it haunts my soul so instead, I decided to use an image where both Bullock and McCarthy look like they could destroy the person that botched that Photoshop job. That is all.

The Heat stars Sandra Bullock as Sarah Ashburn and Melissa McCarthy as Shannon Mullins. Sarah is a special agent with the FBI that is on course to be promoted. She is exceptional in the field and follows the rules to a T. This makes other agents look like amateurs and, thus, causes resentment. The rift between Sarah and the other agents forces her superior to reassign her to the Boston office. Sarah reluctantly takes the position in hopes to prove her mettle. Shannon is a detective with the Boston Police that gets things accomplished in a unique fashion. When Sarah begins investigating a drug lord, her path crosses with Shannon's. This causes conflict because of their drastically different approaches to their careers. Shannon is a tough Boston officer with a soft spot for her family and neighborhood and Sarah is anxious to close the case and get back to New York. The two eventually find a common ground (putting criminals in prison), and are able to bond.

I must admit that I didn't have high hopes for this film, but I am not really sure why. I absolutely loved Bridesmaids, Sandra Bullock is pretty incredible, Melissa McCarthy is probably the funniest woman in Hollywood right now (Kristin Wiig is right there with her), and Paul Feig has never made anything bad (Freaks and Geeks...enough said). Still, I just wasn't excited about The Heat. Perhaps it was because everywhere I looked I saw the trailer (which can get old really fast), or maybe it was because it seemed that Bullock was reprising her Miss Congeniality role (she's not). Whatever the reason, I am glad I saw it. Kate Dippold's first feature length script is filled with great characters, witty dialoge, and a pretty engaging, albeit generic, story. It further solidifies my desire to see McCarthy star in a film rather than share the spotlight with other comedic power hitters. Bridesmaids was arguably her breakout role but she has been active for a while. I first saw her on Gilmore Girls (that show was amazing):

She also stars in Mike and Molly opposite Billy Gardell:

She has been fantastic on SNL:
I love this skit

Along with these TV and film appearances, she also has a YouTube character named Marbles Harsgrove:

I feel McCarthy has the chops to carry a film without having to attach a gimmick to her character. In Bridesmaids she was a homely government agent, in Identity Thief she was a criminal, and in The Heat she was, again, a homely officer. I'd like to see her as a typical woman that happens to be hysterical. The counterpoint to this suggestion is that McCarthy works best in an ensemble. That is what made Bridesmaids so funny. The collection of hilarious women made the film so much better. Whatever the case may be, I am excited to see more of her films.

Eventhough I always suggest against seeing comedies in the theater, I would say that this one is a pretty safe bet. The comedy will likely be heightened by the shared laughter and the money you spent will be justified. There is quite a bit of language so if that is something that offends you then perhaps steer clear. Watch for director Paul Feig's cameo (as well as McCarthy's husband, Ben Falcone).

My Score: 7/10

Identity Thief

Identity Thief (2013)
Directed by: Seth Gordon
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 24%

First, let me start off by saying that my goal as a reviewer (however small my readership may be) is to inform and educate about the content of the film in which I am speaking. My aim is not to criticize a certain actor or director's personal life or identity. I may comment on their ability to deliver lines or their lack of technical ability when it comes to film making but I do not believe that a person's sex, age, political beliefs, religion (unless it's Tom Cruise), or weight have any effect on the content of the film. I say this because recently Melissa McCarthy was attacked by a scathing review for Identity Thief by notable reviewer Rex Reed. I do not wish to repeat his statements but you can certainly find sources detailing the aspects of his "review". My comment for Rex Reed on the matter is that I wholeheartedly agree with Paul Feig's sentiments: “For his catty and school bully name-calling of the supremely talented Melissa McCarthy, I cordially invite Mr. Rex Reed to go f**k himself.” Now, on to the review!

Identity Thief stars the always talented Jason Bateman as Sandy Bigelow Patterson. His talent is matched by the incredible Melissa McCarthy. Sandy is working a dead end job with a large bank. He has a wife (Amanda Peet) and two children at home Franny (Mary-Charles Jones) and Jessie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones). When Sandy is offered a job with a new firm it seems that his life is about to turn around until it all comes crashing down. Dawn (McCarthy) is a veteran identity thief who has recently acquired Sandy's personal information and has taken out several credit cards in his name. As she spends her way to happiness Sandy's credit and good name are marred. Dawn ends up getting arrested for causing a ruckus at a bar and is given a court date. Dawn has no intention of actually attending the court date because the charges are not in her real name. When Sandy is arrested for skipping his court date he learns that his identity has been stolen and that this woman in Florida is ruining his life. The situation is complicated further by the fact that because Dawn is involved with the Cartel, Sandy's reputation is suspect. This causes his new boss (John Cho) to consider firing him. Sandy then concocts a plan to bring Dawn back to Denver, where he lives, so she can tell his boss that she, in fact, is the source of all the drama. While she is confessing, the police are then to bust in and catch her in the act of confessing. Sounds foolproof, right? Of course not. What follows is one mishap after another. It is reminiscent of the classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.


Rotten Tomatoes' score for Identity Thief a 24%. That is "rotten" on their scale. I typically feel like their scores are pretty spot on but I have to disagree here. While Identity Thief isn't doing anything new at least they are doing it well. The two leads in the film are fantastic actors and are able to hold a scene with ease. I wouldn't be surprised if Gordon let them improvise most of their dialogue. Their chemistry feels natural and is completely believable. That being said, there are definite flaws within the plot. As much as I love Jonathan Banks, I feel his role as Paolo was unnecessary. He is uncredited (according to IMDb) so perhaps it was a favor to someone involved in making the film but still, his scenes felt out of place. Half way through the film I completely forgot what the goal of the road trip was because there were so many other crazy things going on that the story gets muddled. This caused the runtime to creep up near two hours and you definitely notice it.

No BS

Identity Thief is a fun time. It is filled with almost incessant hilarity. Bateman and McCarthy (as well as Robert Patrick, Jon Favreau, Ben Falcone and Eric Stonestreet) make this movie worth seeing. It is rated R for quite a bit of language so if you don't want to hear the sweet sweet Melissa McCarthy talk like a sailor then...see this movie anyway because it is funny!

My Score: 7/10