The Heat

Expectations:
Melissa McCarthy is quickly becoming the queen of comedy, and, while I can't speak for everyone, I am super excited about it. Honestly, I don't understand how she is able to make all of these films whilst being bolstered to a mediocre sitcom on CBS. Nonetheless, she does it and does it well. I could literally watch an entire movie with no one but McCarthy in it. No Maya Rudolph... No Kristen Wiig... No Zach Galifianakis... Just Melissa McCarthy! But, if you offer to add one of the most stunning ladies of all time, in Sandra Bullock, I might just have to say please. From the first time I ever watched Miss Congeniality, I knew that Sandra Bullock would be a lifelong crush, and she has not disappointed. Not only has she won an Oscar for Best Actress (just for me), but she also still looks great at age older-than-both-of-my-parents. So, take the new queen of comedy and add my lifelong cougar-crush... You are certain to expect success, and that is what I expected with The Heat.

Plot:
As is the case with many a shallow comedy, the plot was almost completely irrelevant to the purpose of this film. Honestly, CSI Miami could have come up with a more interesting cop story, and Horatio could certainly make me laugh. Sorry, CBS, you are just getting clobbered today! Fortunately for The Heat, the fact that the plot was insignificant was quite clear. This film was focused on creating great one-liners and creating a female buddy-cop comedy that could possibly compete with the boys. When it comes down to it, I go watch comedic films for one reason and one reason only... TO LAUGH. How you get me to that point is insignificant, as long as I can tell that all you're trying to do is make me laugh! But, if you're trying to make me connect with the characters in an emotional/dramatic way, you better have a good story... or else. While The Heat completely lacked any sort of a plot, I wasn't upset by it, because I laughed at the hilarity that was wrap in the web of plotlessness.

Characters:
When you have a film with great stars like Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, you tend to ignore the other characters/actors that are a part of the film. "Necessary but unimportant" would be a good way to describe the bulk of the non-Bullock/McCarthy characters in The Heat...

Negatives:
Sandra Bullock is a great actress, and I'm pretty sure she played her role of Agent Ashburn exactly as it was intended. However, I did not like the character, mostly because she lacked a lot humor until the end of the film. We all know that Bullock has the ability to be funny, and her talent was a bit underutilized in this film. While Bullock's problem was her character, Taran Killam's Adam (a contrary police officer) was poorly played by the usually hilarious actor. I love Killam on SNL, so I was really disappointed to see him give such a poor performance, which didn't get a single laugh out of me.

Positives:
I hate to put even more of the focus on Melissa McCarthy, but her turn as the hilarious Agent Mullins was so, so good. If this character isn't as good as Megan from Bridesmaids, it's pretty darn close. She was hilarious throughout the entire film, and, when she wasn't in a scene, it was glaringly obvious, due to the lack of laughter. Without McCarthy, this film has nothing going for it, but, with her, it is actually pretty good.

Conclusion:
After seeing Bridesmaids, The Heat, This is 40, Identity Thief, and The Hangover Part III, I can easily say that Melissa McCarthy is one of the funniest women alive. I can also say, with great confidence, that her performance in The Heat is the funniest female, comedic performance that I have seen since her breakout performance in Bridesmaids. A lot of that can be attributed to the fact that I don't watch many girly comedies (FYI-The Heat is not a girly comedy). Nevertheless, I do watch a lot of movies, so I think that most of you would agree with me on how funny Agent Mullins turned out to be. If you are the deep, intellectual type, who wants a clever or exciting plot to mix in with your comedy, The Heat is not for you. If you are like me and desire to laugh at whatever comes your way, The Heat is definitely for you. Kudos to McCarthy for gracing us with her hilarity, and kudos to the director, Paul Fieg, for creating another great character for her to play. I give The Heat 3.12 out of 5 stars.