The Heat: Exploring the Pros and Cons of the Cop Comedy

Michelle Douvris ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Editor
The Heat, a buddy cop comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, fared pretty well at the box office this past weekend. But if you haven’t seen the flick yet, is it worth the price of admission? Here are some pros and cons of the film that may help you decide.
Pro: It’s from the director of Bridesmaids.
Paul Feig is choosing projects that are showing the world that women really can be funny.
Con: It falls short of Bridesmaids’ brilliance.
Feig’s second project teaming up with Melissa McCarthy is nowhere near as sharp and refreshing as his 2011 hit comedy.
Pro: It has a decent twist.
A plot twist at the movie’s climax helps the film deviate from its predictable storyline, even if just for a moment.
Con: You’ve seen Bullock and McCarthy in these roles before.
While Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy are consistently charming in all of their roles, they’ve played these characters before. Bullock’s portrayal of Special Agent Sarah Ashburn is made up of equal parts Grace Hart (Miss Congeniality) and Margaret Tate (The Proposal). Melissa McCarthy’s role as Detective Shannon Mullins is boisterous and misunderstood, nothing out of her comedic comfort zone.
Pro: It has Boston charm.
Most of the film takes place in the streets of Boston and even though it centers on a case dealing with drugs and murder, the movie also features some identifiable city landmarks and a whole lot of Boston accents that will amuse people who are familiar with the city.
Con: Some of the scenes are downright ridiculous.
One particular scene in the movie was completely unnecessary and had me cowering in my seat. Bullock’s character attempts to stop a man from choking in a restaurant by giving him an emergency tracheotomy and fails, almost killing a man and leaving a gruesome amount of blood and a lot of audience members gasping.
Pro: Bullock and McCarthy are physical comedy experts.
Bullock and McCarthy are fearless when it comes to physical comedy and their commitment to getting laughs elevates the mediocre material.
Con: It’s largely predictable.
The Heat is ultimately what you would expect it to be: a mildly amusing romp with likeable leads, a familiar plot, and crude jokes sprinkled without.

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