As Bem-Armadas

I cannot understand all the very negative reviews for this movie. They almost convinced me not to watch it. Fortunately, the decent reviews convinced me to take an chance, and I am glad I did. This movie is as good a comedy as any of the decent comedies to come out in the last two years, of which there were not many. The acting was top class. The script was very funny and the direction was just right. The leads complimented each other perfectly. The pace was very good and kept you interested. Even the slower part which was only a very small portion of the overall movie, but was one of the things which made it more human and easier to relate to. Well worth a look.

Admittedly, I didn't make it to the end. I just couldn't. This is, without a doubt, the worst movie I've ever seen. The acting, the storyline, the dialogue, everything.

While watching, I'm thinking to myself - how in the world could a "reader" (studio's coverage) of this poorly written, disgusting material be positive? How in the world could a studio executive read this and say... "We need to make this". How in the world could Ms. Bullock's agent read this and say to himself... "Sandy needs to do this". How in the world could Ms. Bullock read this script and say... "This is great. Let's shoot it". How in the world could all of these people read this script and green light this awful, poorly written screenplay? And finally, how in the world could anyone who participated in the production of this movie be proud to have a family member or friend watch it? And there's going to be a second one? Be proud Hollywood, be proud.

The good cop-bad cop routine gets a makeover in Paul Feig's (Bridesmaids, Freaks and Geeks) latest vehicle The Heat, by playing up the expert comic timing of two funny women to rather interesting effect. Straitlaced FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) has a natural instinct for busting hidden dope and comes armed with high qualifications, overconfidence and a motivation to prove herself. In a bid to win a promotion, she takes on a high-profile assignment in Boston and reluctantly partners Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), an in-your- face local detective whose vocabulary is generously peppered with expletives. Totally "real", she pulls no punches and plays by her own rules. Neither of them are the most popular officers around, likely a consequence of their raw ambition and overall refusal to abide by gender stereotypes in male-dominated profession.

Their partnership begins with a tumultuous start as Mullins takes offence at Ashburn's decision to interrogate her witness without permission, and her territorial reaction results in a hilarious confrontation in her boss's office. Ever the career-minded professional, Ashburn recognizes the importance of the partnership to her potential promotion, and decides to make peace in order to track down a drug cartel boss. The pair storm through the neighbourhoods of Boston, leveraging on each other's strengths while reconciling their differences.

When opposites are presented to each other, they form a mirror for the each other's shortcomings, and perhaps part of the attraction comes from the patching of those gaps. In an attempt to bug a cartel member's mobile phone, Ashburn steps out of her comfort zone and strips down while Mullins provides the distraction in an entertaining scene at the club. Sure, they're not the hottest girls around, but they're the ones who've got all the attention. The stakes go up when Mullins' brother's involvement with the cartel puts her family at risk. The belligerent partnership metamorphoses into warm friendship as both women come to emphathise with each other's vulnerabilities. Even when the world is against them, both detectives are more than confident of holding their own and solving the case on their own terms.

The story's direction is completely predictable, but it is the script – down-to-earth, genuine and liberally dowsed in R-rated language – that boosts the movie, alongside the winning appeal of the two leads. As she's established before in her Miss Congeniality films, Bullock is witty, naturally droll and looks good with a gun. McCarthy combines hard-nosed physicality with dewy-eyed tenderness, creating a character you can empathise with and would want on your side of the ring in a fight.

A respected writer, producer and director, director Feig is perhaps best known for the massive 2011 box-office hit Bridesmaids. The female-led comedy raked in global earnings of US$300 million, established leading star Kristin Wiig as a bonafide comedy film star and introduced McCarthy as a capable comedian with a physicality that's absent among most Hollywood actresses. The story here tries hard to make you laugh, sometimes too hard (you can tell Bullock knows when to milk it when she's delivering a particularly amusing line), but also unexpectedly tugs at your heartstrings: Bullock and McCarthy share a good chemistry and their scenes together, in particular the improv-heavy ones in the bar, demonstrate the rapport between the two.

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This movie is crude, unpredictable, shocking, and just about the funniest female buddy movie I've ever seen. It is a total laugh riot, each shock outdoes the last one. A "Hangover" movie for women - and let's hope they make two more of them! Go see it, knowing that the language is foul, the humor is gross, the violence is unexpected, and you will be surprised over and over again anyway. Rarely does a movie audience laugh so loud that you can't hear the dialog. If you are from Boston, or lived there for any appreciable amount of time, it will be even funnier. ("What am I speak-in', f-in' Japanese he-ah?")Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy are a perfect (mis)-match. A hysterical movie.

I'm not sure about these bad reviews, I really found a lot to enjoy here.

Plot In A Paragraph: FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is a very skilled investigator in New York City, but is despised by her fellow agents for her arrogant attitude. On a brief assignment in Boston, she meets Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) a foulmouthed and rebellious police officer with the Boston Police Department. Ashburn's by-the-book philosophy clashes with Mullins' rugged and violent style of police work. Under pressure from her FBI boss Hale, Ashburn reluctantly agrees to team up with Mullins.

Whilst the plot is nothing special, and certain amounts of the humour revolve around police brutality and bad language, Bullock is an effective straight to the foul mouthed McCarthy and I found some serious lough out loud moments.

Enjoyable and I'll definitely watch it again.