The Heat (2013) - Paul Feig

FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn has always been an army of one.  She's an uptight individual who isn't well-liked by any of her fellow agents.  She is sent to Boston by one of her superiors to investigate the whereabouts of a ruthless drug lord.  When she arrives she runs into Boston Cop Shannon Mullin, a foul-mouthed woman who does things by her own set of rules.  These two couldn't be more incompatible but they are forced to work together, ultimately becoming the last thing anyone would expect:  Friends.  Paul Feig's The Heat is an above average comedy that has its moments but much of the film's success can be attributed to the pairing of Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock.  I've never been much of a fan of Melissa McCarthy, as I find that her humor is so abrasive it wears out its welcome far too fast.  For the first 30 minutes, I feared the worst, with McCarthy going through the same annoying motions but once the film gets past her introduction, and the two characters are forced to team-up, the film becomes much better.  These two characters are polar opposites and Bullock's up-tight and by-the-book character provides a necessary balance to McCarthy's schtick.  I wouldn't say The Heat is hilarious but it's full of good moments and seems to almost get better as it progresses.  Some of the best comedic moments are well designed set-pieces, like the Club or Bar sequence, but when the film relies too heavily on McCarthy's dialogue it falters.   Make no mistake it's incredibly refreshing to see a studio movie in which the two leads are strong female characters, and the film is very self-aware to that fact.  My favorite aspect of the entire movie revolves around this self-awareness, with Feig references this fact in subtly way throughout the duration.  Paul Feig's The Heat is a entertaining comedy that takes a little too long to get going, but once it does, Bullock and McCarthy prove to be an effective team. 
7.25/10

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