Hollywood Product: ‘This Means War’
Christopher Pine and Tom Hardy’s spy guys fight over Reese Witherspoon in an action rom-com
- 20th Century Fox
- GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT: Tom Hardy (from left), Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine in ‘This Means War’
GENRE: Action comedy. On second thought, make that “action” “comedy.”
THE PITCH: It’s bromance vs. romance when CIA agents and best pals FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) discover they’re both dating the same woman, a consumer product researcher named Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). Their “let the best man win” agreement about wooing her devolves into dirty tricks with surveillance equipment and other spy gizmos.
MONEY SHOTS: Unaware that Tuck and FDR are bugging her apartment, Lauren hip-hop dances alone, wearing a sweater and no pants. Tuck shows Lauren he’s not a “safe” guy by going Rambo on competitors at a paintball game. Before FDR and Lauren get busy, Tuck shoots him with a tranquilizer dart, and FDR glowers hilariously before passing out. Tuck and FDR’s inevitable fistfight features some decent fight choreography amid the rest of the lousy action scenes.
BEST LINE: “Why is she listening to that old man?” one of the guys wonders as Lauren chats with her best pal, played by Chelsea Handler. Handler overplays her drunken slut shtick but has a few good exchanges with Witherspoon. Lauren complains about online dating, saying, “I could end up in a skin suit! Or in somebody’s trunk!” Handler replies, “That’s so overdramatic! That’s, like, one in 20 girls!”