This Means War - 3 smiles

Because I’m a Reese Witherspoon fan, I like everything she’s in and “This Means War” is no exception. Plus you’ve got Chris Pine and Tom Hardy, so what’s not to like? Pine and Hardy play CIA pals, FDR and Tuck, respectively, who always get their man and when they both meet Lauren (Witherspoon), they’re each determined to get the girl. And they call on all their spycraft to be successful, which results in some humorous goings-on. Tuck is a single dad who’s separated from his little boy’s mother, shy enough to be attractive to online date Lauren, who works as a product tester for a marketing company. By contrast, FDR is a smooth operator with a ready line for any woman he encounters, which doesn’t work when he first meets Lauren. Since these guys are good friends, they establish rules for courting Lauren – Don’t tell her that they know about the other, stay out of each other’s way, and no hanky panky.

This action-packed romantic comedy was directed by McG, who handles the shifts in tone well. One minute the guys are shooting it out with villain (Til Schweiger) and his henchmen, the next day they’re employing every Agency gadget and invasion of privacy tool in their battle to win Lauren. Their various CIA assistants are not necessarily in on why they’re employing wiretaps and spy satellites to keep tabs on this woman, however. The bromance between Tuck and FDR results in more fully developed characters, with Hardy in particular showing a softer side. Witherspoon’s character isn’t as well developed, but she plays Lauren with charm and confidence. Chelsea Handler, who plays Lauren’s married best friend, Trish, brings her potty mouth and, frankly, it’s jarring. “This Means War” follows the rom-com formula and throws in some brisk action scenes. What’s not to like? 3/18/12