Movies

A bit of romance, a bit of action and a bit of comedy: This Means War aims to deliver something for everyone. It succeeds in most departments, largely due to the easy-going charm of the leads, and the overall air of not taking itself too seriously.

Films like these sink or swim on the charisma of the stars. Think Mr and Mrs Smith (good example) or Killers (bad example). Built as a vehicle for Reese Witherspoon, This Means War originally cast Bradley Cooper and Sam Worthington as her warring lovers, but we can thank our lucky stars it ended up being the largely untested rom-com leading men Chris Pine and Tom Hardy.

Tuck (Hardy) and FDR (Pine) are a cool-as-ice pair of spies who always have each other's backs. When a failed mission in Hong Kong leaves them office-bound in LA, the best mates get bored and decide to try the dating scene. As fate would have it, they fall for the same woman, Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), and use every CIA tool at their disposal to sidetrack each other's chances with their double-dating girlfriend.

The dashing combo of Hardy and Pine brings a fresh energy to a rather two-dimensional tale of friendly rivalry. You'll be likely debating the merits of both leading men afterwards. What stands out about this film is how the 'bromance' is more important than the romance.

As the rose between the thorns, Witherspoon is on girl-next-door autopilot in a role that defies plausibility: a smart woman like her would've figured out she's being played much earlier. Even if she's doing some playing herself.

Chelsea Handler gets a few laugh-out-loud one-liners as best friend Trish, but her unsubtle delivery is frequently annoying.

The bulk of This Means War plays like a set of skits as the men think of more ridiculous ways to one-up one another. It does get tiresome, but the banter between the Hardy and Pine keeps it afloat until the heart-pumping climax kicks in.

Director McG injects the same elements of his Charlie's Angels films into This Means War: it's loud, good-looking and guiltily enjoyable escapist entertainment.