284, White House Down

You would be easily forgiven for thinking that Hollywood have gone MAD!  "Hang on - haven't I just seen this movie" I hear you all cry? but panic not - We've seen this before, quite a few times.

White House Down isn't the only movie that's easily comparable with another recent release (in this instance, Olympus has Fallen).  The other notable doubles are Liberty Stands Still (Phone Booth?), Day and Knight (The Killers?) and Oblivion (Moon?).  All have extremely similar plot lines and each released over an easily comparable time frame and I'm sure there are many more that I've missed so seeing as these two have both been blogged by me, which stands out as the 'must see?'

Well for me.  Olympus has Fallen is the better movie and I'll explain why. 

The North Koreans bringing 'Shock and Awe' back to Washington by pounding down the White House font door with nothing but big brass balls and epic force far outweighs the sneaky 'bomb in a bin' technique orchestrated by the Presidents own trusted allies (no spoiler alert - its obvious who's in charge from the first 5 minutes) used in White House Down.

I know - before you all moan - the Bomb was in the Capital Building but its what started the events and although far more believable - just lacked that big screen presence of its predecessor.

Then there is the cast, Tatum and Foxx are by far the bigger of the Hollywood players right now and I'm guessing more of a draw than comparable portrayals by Gerard Butler (Secret Service) and Aaron Eckhart (President) but that's what made Olympus so awesome - you weren't drawn into ego's which I feel you are with this newer rendition.

White House Down shows a wannabe Secret Service agent (Tatum) dreaming of getting the big gig and after failing the interview, ends up taking his daughter on a tour of the White House when it all kicks off.  After they end up separated, he seeks her out and after managing to rescue the President along the way realises his dream job is happening right now and with his family at risk as well as the safety of his boss, has to kick ass to save the day - single handed.

The stand out performance in this though isn't from Tatum or Foxx but Tatum's fantastic political geek of a daughter, Emily (played by the ever so cute Joey King) who's sheer belief in the Presidency and all it stands for give her balls of solid brass when squaring off with some pretty vicious terrorist, although funnily enough, one is played by StreetDance 2 star Ash / Falk Hentschel, but no pirouettes or jazz splits on show here! and he's not in the least bit scary.

The rousing finale which involves a limo chase across the White House lawn and a geeky President managing to lose a Rocket Launcher doesn't hold a candle to the bravery of Emily and her sheer determination - even after getting a proper whack from lead baddie Jason Clarke (Stenz) to raise the Presidential flag just as the bombers are set to obliterate the White House is close to tear jerking for the most hardened action nuts among you but other than the last 25 minutes - Olympus has Fallen wins the Action fest hands down.

Tatum is just a little bit too methodical and Foxx tries to offset his lack of hardness (he's more a number cruncher than warrior) with comedy and sadly fails.  Even the choice of the Presidential Nike Air's? when making a quick change just took it one step too far for me.

There is plenty of Bruce Willis style Die Hard 'vests' on show for the Channing Tatum fans but if you want true, non stop action that impresses on every level then the Gerard Butler version if far better, (Even though the Emily / Flag scene is one of the most moving things I've seen on screen this year).

283, Riddick

This is the third outing for Vin Diesel's apocalyptic styled character Riddick, who always seems to end up abandoned on desolate planets, fighting to protect himself from creatures of the night, helped only by his unique sense of survival, supreme fighting skills and an ability to see in the dark.

Maybe I should have paid closer attention to the other movies Pitch Black (2000) and Chronicles of Riddick (2004) as well as a TV movie?? & games of the same name but sadly I didn't, so when this third outing started offering flash backs I had no idea if they related to any previous movie and as such - was totally lost for about the first 30 minutes of this film.  Sorry! 

So - possibly offending the 'Die Hard' Riddick fans out there I'm going to casually skip to where I managed to gain focus which is when Riddick activates an outpost beacon, knowingly drawing two ships of bounty hunters to his destination to chase his well sought after bounty and assuming they want his head - sees this as the only way off of this abandoned and horrific planet and has to either win their trust, or defeat them trying!

This wont be the longest blog every written as the movie really does just plod along aimlessly.  Funnily enough I'm going to compare this to Predator (Schwarzenegger - 1987) and bear with me but you'll see why in a moment...

You can easily tell who's going to get picked off next and seeing the cast include one female (she'll obviously survive) a number of goofy ex marines (they'll die) and Batista from the W.W.E (who manages to hold them off a little longer, but also dies) you quickly realise that in all honesty - its just a space aged version of the Arnie classic, but with worse acting!  (Predator had Jesse 'The Body' Ventura, also W.W.F - in its day)  Comparable?  you decide.

The saving grace is the monster effects - Riddick's the pet Hyena / alien dog (?) although weird is quite endearing but even that is drastically let down by the awful CGI of the 'Harley Davidson' styled hover bikes / speeders that in all honestly look like they have been superimposed on backdrops with blu-tac and being even more honest - with today's technology available, the 'Return of the Jedi' Speeder chase through the Ewok's Forrest moon of Endor (filmed 30 years ago) was far more believable!  Shame on you!

Like I said, If I had paid more attention to the earlier movies then I may have a better word to say but don't get me wrong - I'm still loving the Diesel and Fast & Furious 7 (2014) and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2015?) are right at the top of my watch list.

282, We're The Millers

'We're The Millers' for me is one of the stand out laughter fests of 2013 so far.  Not really sure what to expect, I was brilliantly surprised when what appeared to be a good old fashioned comedy road movie quickly turned into a well written and brilliantly thought our plot line with a fantastic cast.

Firstly - if you've seen this movie then you'll easily forgive me for getting straight to Jennifer Aniston.  As in Horrible Bosses, this +40 year old still manages to wow a crowd by stripping off and in this she doesn't disappoint again!  Lets just say she leaves most of the 20+ year old's trying to compete for leading roles standing and seeing as she's still 'got it' she's more than happy to flaunt it.

The rest of the cast are led by Drug Dealer David (Sudeikis) who after taking a dodgy deal to transport a bit of weed from Mexico to the U.S by totally over the top businessman (and prolific weed baron) Brad (Ed Helms) who has an Orca in his fish tank (amazing) decides to rope in a makeshift family to reduce suspicion by hauling the dope across border patrol in a bog standard R.V.

The family include the aforementioned Aniston as his fake wife, the brilliant Emma Roberts as Cathy, Daughter / homeless girl and the star of the show, Kenny (Will Poulter) as the obnoxious but innocent neighbours kid who after his mum disappears after a 3 day bender - tows along for the ride.

Poulter is the stand out star of this show, his Brit innocence shines through in this against the hardened yanks and after his initially annoying role in The Narnia movie, really comes into his own in this.  Also - it cant go unnoticed that although weird (as on the outside its his Mom and his Sister) he gets to mosh lips with Aniston & Roberts as they teach him how to kiss, 'passionately' and taking it in turns the young actor certainly get the 'Lad' nod from me, as well as envy from all the male cinema occupants - albeit in the story the hilarity of getting caught supposedly French kissing his Mum & Sister (with his Dad watching) to the unaware is comedy genius!

When the 'tad' of weed turns into a few tonnes - the epic road movie and journey home becomes one of the funniest things I have seen since the toilet scenes in Bridesmaids and the fake family group have to actually stand together to get through it, something that warms the heart at the end when the final scenes are made clear and all will admit - it all works out in the end - for everyone!

The Shark / Orca hunt in the fish tank is an immediate & unexpected addition that you'd never guess and although only a few seconds long - it fantastically conceived and that matched with Aniston having to 'prove' she's a stripper really tick all the boxes that go towards making a good film great.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a good old belly laugh and for those like me who got annoyed with Poulter's portrayal of Eustace in 'The Dawn Treader' will see a naive comedy genius in the making.

281, Pain & Gain

From the trailers, this movie looked to me like an absolute hysterical riot.  Then you realise it's actually based on a true story and wonder that if that's the case - how funny can the kidnapping, torture and extortion of a businessman really be?

Well - the easy answer is about 3 minutes of funny.  The Trailer.

Sadly, if you are expecting a fun filled party with Wahlberg, The "Rock" Johnson & Anthony Mackie bowling around as three goofy body builders trying to make a quick buck then like me - you'll be in for a shock. 

The comedy moments are all in the cinema trailer with the initial fancy dressed kidnap attempt including a Samurai and Green Ninja mixed with The Rock's loss of his big toe are two of the stand out laugh out loud moments but what's left is easily described as quite a violent and brutal portrayal of how three guys played the criminal system for about a year resulting in life sentences for two of them and a number of murders along the way.

Dwayne Johnson is by far the stand out casting for this movie.  His character is the ex drug addict / re-born Christian who once the money rolls in quickly picks up his old habits making himself an obvious weak link in the secretive chain but he will have you in stitches doing everything from barbecuing corpses hands in front of Police to wearing a Crockett styled Miami Vice suit and getting ink bombed with a secure cash bag stolen from the high street.

Wahlberg is the brains of the operation, albeit completely botched from the start and Mackie's relationship with the brilliant Rebel Wilson will have you weeping with laughter into your popcorn.  Things start to get serious when retired Detective Ed Harris gets involved with the claims of criminal activity and as soon as someone with half a brain gets involved - the crew are taken down almost instantly.

No need for spoilers here as this was a well publicised case in the USA with one of the trio already out of prison, the other two facing death row for their actions and a few more who didn't make it through their sentences.

Its hard to question 'real life' movies as its only going to be as captivating as the actual events and it was nice to see the mug shots of the real criminals at the end which does bring a large element of realism to the whole movie but if I could hand on heart say that I got what I was expecting when I watched this film then I'd be lying.

If 'dramatisations' of real life crime stories are your thing then you'll love it.  I did enjoy it but only after reality kicked in that this wasn't just a straight forward comedy gangster movie.  If I'd known it had a violent plot, backing up the 'A List' cast then I would have gone in with a completely different frame of mind but now, looking back - its a real look at a hideous crime that took place not too many years ago and with that in mind (& considering one of them is now out of prison).  It was great :)

280, Elysium

For those who saw and fell in love with the backdrops of Oblivion (Tom Cruise) then Elysium looked set to take it to another level. 

A diseased and ecologically ruined planet earth remains home for those who don't have the money to vacate its dying atmosphere and move to the ever hovering Elysium - a space station styled oasis that lets the rich and affluent live in perfect bliss with not only a fantastic climate and living quarters, but a disease free existence thanks to the help of some pretty impressive machinery that are capable of ridding cancerous cells and other ailments including everything from the common cold to broken bones.

Matt Damon is brilliantly cast as a normal working citizen who after a radioactive work accident is literally being given days to live with his only hope of survival being a healing booth on Elysium and without the acceptance of a citizen, faces certain death.

In a make or break dash to save his life he falls in with a group of rebels who have the means to convert him into a citizen but having to hijack a ship and break through the heightened security of Elysium, headed up by the ever sincere Jodie Foster proves no mean feat and once there - realises he has the chance to change the Elysium source code to  make every human on earth an Elysium citizen and finally bring peace, harmony and most importantly - perfect health to a dying race.

What a story!  I totally loved this movie.  The special effects are second to none, even with today's high standards and the casting is epic from every character listed.  Damon and Foster head it up but there are plenty of easily recognisable faces including the fantastic Sharlto Copley (Murdock / A-Team) who is almost unrecognisable as battered but devastatingly destructive Hitman, Kruger.

I don't want to give too much away regarding the plot but its one of those movies where you get a funny feeling someone is going to have to suffer for the greater good but as the movie pans out you end up wondering if its as straight forward as initially thought.

If Sci-Fi movie are your thing then this is definitely one to watch.  The Spaceships, Weaponry, Medi-Vac Doctors and most importantly Damon's exo-skeleton suit are fantastically designed and brilliantly conceived which makes for a cracking side story into Damon's own issues on a physical level as one as a medical and mental one.

I think many of you will find it hard to fault this one.  Yes, there will be comparisons to almost every futuristic movie made in the last 5 years which will include Dredd, Oblivion, Total Recall etc but this one really does shine in comparison and I urge you all to see it.

279, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Its about time another Teen Fiction Fantasy made it onto our screen after the success of Harry Potter & Twilight (not for me you understand!) but for all those lost kids needing a new focus on life.  Luckily, the Author of the Immortal instruments saga really listed and paid attention to what's already proved popular as this movie has a little bit of everything, let me explain.

Its got Werewolves, Vampires, Magic, Hidden Castles, Warriors, Demons and much much more.  The story is quite simple.  After seeing a murder take place in a club that apparently is lost on everyone else, Clara (Lily Collins) discovers she is the most recent descendant in a long line of Shadow Hunters (defenders of a dark realm) and after the disappearance of her mother realises its time to take on her own destiny as she joins a band of warriors takes with keeping the demons at bay.

Its a great idea and one that is executed brilliantly.  As you've most probably guessed - I haven't read the books but it didn't matter.  I heard it on pretty good authority from a 'reader' that in all honesty, the movie is a really good adaptation.  All of the basic requirements are covered and it quickly gets into the 'who's who' of the storyline.  Clara heads the pack, with her 'bestie' Simon (Robert Sheehan) playing the besotted puppy following her every move, albeit nicely.  They team up with the Warriors - Jace, Isabelle & Alec played by relative unknowns but all of them brilliant.

The bad guys are led by the ever impressive Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Valentine) who's right hand man Pangborn (Kevin Durand) reprises a role similar to the one he plays in 'I Am Number Four', just without the teeth! There are plenty of others characters but to name them all would wipe out the rest of this blog!

What I loved about this movie is it takes the best bit of all the preceding franchises seen over the past 10 years, drops the pointless parts and focuses on all the good stuff.  Its got all the magic and captivation of the Potter films mixed seamlessly with a Twilight styled (and albeit brief) love story that soon comes to a crashing irreversible halt (you'll see).  The Vampires are more like Zombies than sweet an innocent 'day walkers' and the Werewolves proper 'Hulk' out when needed. 

The Demons are quite startling, taking form from everything from the sweet old next door neighbour to a snarling Rottweiler.  These are brilliantly hidden from the outside 'mortal' world leaving the Warriors to wherever possible deal their destruction in the shadows.

Lily Collins is fantastic and the 2nd part is already in pre-production for a 2014 release date so hopefully, we will get one of these a year to see the saga through and with each book taking a different direction I am hoping for a good run of films, each improving as they go. 

To be honest - I was expecting a lame Twilight rip off but this takes out all the fluff and really gets down to a cracking story line with more violence than you'd expect and a great twist that flattens any kind of romance before it really gets going, Who wants romance in a Vampire / Werewolf / Demon / Warrior movie any way?

278, 2 Guns

Any movie starring Denzel and 'Marky' Mark Wahlberg for me has to be a winner.  The sheer on-screen presence of Washington, paired with the humorous quips expected from Wahlberg make 2 Guns an exiting and action packed thrill ride that everyone will enjoy.

The movie opens almost immediately prior to the Bank Robbery the plot is focused around, only then jumping back a week for a back story to bring you up to speed.  Initially, both look like hardened Bank Robbers but slowly as the story unfolds you find out that one is DEA, the other Naval Intelligence and unbeknown to each other - believe the other to be an actual criminal.

When it turns out that the expected $3m haul is nearer to $40m, suspicions between the two grow as to they have ripped off and why and when each of their own sides turns on them - they only have each other to fall back on and find out who the money belongs too and why they are being framed.

The double act of Washington and Wahlberg is fantastic.  There plenty of one-liners as well as edge of the seat action scenes and the pair just bounce off each other brilliantly.  Denzel is by far the more aware, sincere of the two allowing for Wahlberg to play the more jovial of the pair and over the course of the movie you can see a real bond grown between the two that just wasn't there in the early stages. 

I thought the remainder of the cast was also fab.  Bill Paxton's over the top ruthless as CIA agent Earl and Bobby Trench's (Washington) girlfriend / colleague Deb (Paula Patton) play great supporting roles and you'll see X-Man Cyclops (James Marsden) play a but of a baddie too which was a nice change to his normal clean cut image.

But if I was to sum this movie up, in my mind this ones all about Wahlberg.  He will have you in fits of giggles and does the best in mixing comedy with fast paced action.  From placing a fart in a car boot to the cheeky winks bestowed upon all the pretty ladies he comes across, This for me adds another great movie to his CV and makes me want to see Pain & Gain even more than I already do!

The action is slick, car chases are brutal and Denzel shows off a bit of that hard man image seen in Training Day and Safe House which he plays on so well.  Both brilliant in their own roles but if you want to see a little piece of movie magic - then make sure 2 Guns is on your watch list.

277, Grown Ups 2

I have to admit that looking back - Grown Ups (Part 1) did have me in momentary fits of giggles and I suppose with the sequel I was hoping for more of the same.  Unfortunately - in this it seems they've tried too hard to cram as many one liners as they can into the early scenes and as such - I just felt the first 20 minutes was entirely cringe worthy.

The story basically kicks off about a year after the first movie - Lenny Feder (Sandler) and his family have moved back to his home town to raise his kids the old fashioned American way.  Sadly, there is no real point to this film other than our 4 Grown Ups (Rob Schneider is absent) acting up again and after a run in with a College Frat pack end up having to prove their 'machoism' to them as well as face off with their own childhood bullies, resulting in an 80's party at the Faders that ends up in a Grown up vs. College brawl in the back yard.

There are few sub plots along the way, the arrival of Higgins (David Spade) unknown and wayward son, Faders & Mckenzies (Chris Rock) own brood experimenting with 'College girls' and Lamonsoff's (Kevin James) continued 'mummy's boy' lifestyle he cant yet walk away from.

All the wife's are back as is the regular 'Sandler' movie appearance for Allen Covert but the best two additions to the cast are Faders own old school bully, Cavanaugh (Played by WWE star 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin) and older brother to Fugly Mob member Malcolm, Officer Fluzoo, played by the enormous NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.  In my mind - the best two parts in the whole movie.

The third notable addition is frat leader Andy, played by Taylor Lautner who's only redeeming feature in this movie is his impressive arsenal of martial arts roundhouse kicks and his side kick - TV 'Heroes' star Milo Ventimiglia is even worse.

Unbeknown to me at the time - the whole Sandler brood (wife & kids Jackie, Sadie & Sunny) appear as the Tardio family and the original 'opposition' team are all back too - with the brilliant Steve Buscemi reprising his role as the over nerdy but totally awesome Wiley.

I'm focusing so much on the cast here as the movie is totally shocking.  There are a few visual gags that may make some of you chuckle but on the whole - it appeared over stereotyped, badly scripted and pointless.

The 'wife's' do make up for it however to an extent with Salma Hayek dazzling on screen as she always does and with specific focus in this on her ample talent(s) I am sure that most of the bored male audience will have at least two things they can focus on. 

The highlight in this for me was guessing all of the 80's party costumes - everyone is accounted for from Hulk Hogan to Debbie Gibson and with Sandler's under whelming jeans and t-shirt (Springsteen style) its again the ladies (and Kevin James's Meatloaf) that get the 80's nods from me. 

Other than that - the stand out costumes sit with both token black guys coming in the same purple velvet 'Prince' outfits, Steve Austin as the Terminator (with Robert Palmer girlfriend in tow) and Lamonsoff's 'Bean' as one of ZZ-Top that get the most giggles.

To sum up - if slap-stick visual gags are your thing and you think Sandler should be awarded for an Oscar every year for best performance in a comedy role then this is definitely a movie for you.  Sadly, As I don't fit into that category I will make it my aim not to spend time at the cinema again watching a Sandler flick - the stereotypical character niche he has carved for himself is old and tired and I've lost interest - if you haven't - knock yourself out.

276, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is the 2nd outing for our likable Demi-God who along with his band of intrepid forest dwelling heroes have to once again fight evil forces to ensure the safety of the earth - all without any mortals knowing what's actually going on.

This is the 2nd book in a series of 5? and as you'd expect by now - I haven't read any of them but as movies - I think they work really well.  As with my write up of Red 2, being the sequel means you don't need any time at all explaining who everyone is - allowing for a far quicker take up with the plot and as before - I would highly recommend seeing the Lightening Thief before siting down to this one as not only are the heroes explained in full - but so are the baddies and although there is no inclusion of Hades in this outing - Luke (Jake Abel) is back to his evil best and a key adversary for our intrepid band of warriors.

The original cast are all back with the exception of Pierce Brosnan but his role as leader of the forest sanctuary is replaced by Stanley Tucci and Anthony Head and there are a few new demi-gods along the way, most notable is Clarisse, daughter of Ares (God of War) as a contender to Jackson's throne as Camp Hero and the brilliant Tyson - half brother to Jackson as the son of Poseidon and a Nymph! which results in Tyson being a Cyclops and initially loathed by many of his Camp mates due to history between the Cyclops race and some of the original residence of Camp Half Blood - don't panic - all will be explained.

This movie focuses around the location and capture of the fabled Golden Fleece needed to save the life of Talia's Tree that protects the Camps residence.  Meanwhile - Luke is trying to capture it for his own gain, to use it to resurrect Kronos - Father of the Gods and wreak havoc on the world as we know it.  Easy!

Although these are initially books for teens - the stories and characters are captivating and the ending of this is fantastic (***small spoiler alert***) opening up easily onto the potential 3rd instalment that sees Percy no longer as the only direct descendant of the famous three (Zeus, Poseidon & Hades) which puts into question a prophecy hanging over his own head.

The special effects for Tyson and the other Cyclops are great and seeing as no real introductions are needed for the existing cast, it gets straight into the action and the reprised roles for Percy, Annabeth & Grover are all brilliantly portrayed - moving on seamlessly from where they left off after the first instalment.

I couldn't really fault this movie at all - Sadly, I cant compare it to the original novels but as stand alone films, the first two have been well cast, well acted with captivating story lines and totally enjoyable so if you want something that will be enjoyed by parents and kids alike, you cant go far wrong with this one.

275, Red 2

Back in October 2010 (Blog 68, RED) I raved about the prequel to this instalment, stating it was a bit slow to get going but once the story actually picked up a bit of pace it was one hell of a movie  well, for RED 2 they listened to me!

John Malkovich was by far the turning point of the first movie, hilarious on screen and was a well need injection of comedy from the quite mundane Willis and in this new offering - Malkovich is back to his witty best from the opening scene meaning that his movie doesn't need anytime at all to get up to speed - it starts well and truly in 6th gear!

Willis is still with his call centre girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) and although he is yearning after the simple retired life, Parker now has a taste from the action, far removed from her 'old' boring life and Malkovich's arrival prompts her to immediately air on the side of adventure and she laps up the new threat that sees Willis and Malkovich framed for an old undercover Op gone bad.

Now hunted by MI6 and most prominently, assassin sniper Helen Mirren (back in her original role) who of course - calls ahead to warn her old comrades of her new assignment and new super assassin Han Cho Bai (Byung-Hun Lee from G.I Joe fame) you have the recipe for a great action spy movie with laughs to boot.

For me - the best thing about sequels is you don't need to take any time introducing the audience to the original characters, allowing for a far quicker lead into the movie - of course there will be new faces, but they can be seamlessly fed in as required.

In this, Brian Cox is back albeit with the absence of Morgan Freeman but a great addition is the apparently senile, aged Professor Bailey (Anthony Hopkins) who is responsible for the original Op / weapons design and holed up in a mental ward, Willis and his band of merry men have to bust him out to get to the bottom of what they are accused of but things don't go entirely to plan!

The other nice extra is the role of Katja (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who plays the Russian spy and an ex girlfriend of Willis which goes down great with current squeeze Parker when it appears after all these years - Katja is still Frank's 'Kryptonite' and the banter between the two ladies is brilliant in its awkwardness.

No plot spoilers from me on this one.  There are plenty of twists and turns that should keep you guessing and as with the first movie, everyone plays their parts to a tee - Mirren & Malkovich especially but as before - Willis just seemed to hold up me being to state that everyone was fantastic.

My recommendation - you will enjoy this movie far more if you've seen the first, purely because it explains how everyone came to be 'Retired - Extremely Dangerous' and also the meeting of Willis & Parker is key to understanding their relationship in the 2nd movie.  If you manage to stay wake for the first 45 minutes of the first movie you will enjoy the rest and most importantly, Red 2 will be far more enjoyable for you.

Lots of Malkovich laughs, Willis Action and Mirren as the adorable Assassin - what could be better?

274, The Heat

The Heat is a movie about a straight laced albeit un-liked FBI Agent Ashburn (Bullock) who ends up on a drugs case that takes her to Boston to meet the fiery & feisty Mullins (McCarthy) and from bitter beginnings these two have to forge a buddy buddy relationship to help each other through personal and family issues and come out the other side smiling. 

As with most cop comedies like this there has to be a fall guy and McCarthy plays her role like an absolute dream.  For most, her performance in Bridesmaids is the recognisable part that puts her top of the current funny female category and why not?  It was an amazing role and this is a far meaner and grittier performance as the foul mouthed, fists first Mullins that will have all of you in fits of giggles at her dry and witty approach to bad-guys. 

Bullock is the far more sincere FBI agent who although impressive with her arrest record is arrogant with it hence her lack of friends and McCarthy picks up on this and takes it upon her self to educate her in the street, as well as comedically in her love life too.

The two bounce off each other brilliantly and its not long before there getting along which is great considering that there is already The Heat 2 rumoured and I cant wait!

I loved this - the addition of wimpy Boston Chief of Police Woods, brilliantly cast as Thomas Wilson who everyone will recognise as Biff Tannen from Back to the Future is amazing and McCarthy's belittling of him at every turn heralds some of the movies funniest moments. 

Then there is the surprisingly cast Marlon Wayans as Boston FBI Agent Levy who for once doesn't act the joker and actually stands up as a pretty decent actor in this considering his sketchy Scary Movie past.

There are sub-plots upon sub-plots with a dodgy family relationship for McCarthy and also the recluse lifestyle of Bullock which just adds depth and backbone to the plot and makes it more than just a comedy cop movie.

To be honest - a majority of the laughs all come from McCarthy and this in part is down to the language used, lets just say its not one for the kids but as in Bridesmaids, its McCarthy's delivery of fantastic lines that make this movie and the funny trailers are just the beginning - there is plenty more where they come from.

From the hilarious bar binge scene to the search for Wood's tiny girly balls, this movie ticks a whole load of boxes that should please action and comedy junkies alike and I cant remember a movie that had the cinema in fits of laugh out loud hysterics in a long time.

When all is said and done - I doubt there is anyone out there who wont find some form of enjoyment with this movie.  Its well written, brilliantly cast and with Bullock's character taking a new post at the Boston FBI at the end of the movie, opens up brilliantly for a second outing.