this means war movie review

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If there’s anything I hate more than a stupid action comedy, it’s an incompetent stupid action comedy. It’s not so bad it’s good. It’s so bad it’s nothing else but bad. At the center of “This Means War,” poor Reese Witherspoon is poised, playing Lauren, a perky single woman who meets two hunks through an online dating service. These two guys both work for the CIA, with their desks facing each other. What a hilarious coincidence, eh?

I could comprehend this story gimmick in a movie involving 16-year-olds. Witherspoon and her co-stars, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy , have an average age of 33.33, and that's how old they look, 33.33-ish. Their agents should be old enough to warn them against this movie. That they are all single is possible. That the two guys meet the same girl and fall instantly in love and engage in bitter romantic struggle is … not. Reese Witherspoon is as cute as a button on Raggedy Ann's overalls, but irresistible raw sex appeal is not one of her qualities.

Now consider her CIA buddies, FDR Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Har­dy). Although Reese is not convincing as the woman they go to war over, she would be ideally cast as a straight roommate giving them advice about their romance. Because surely they're gay. They do everything together, ranging from deadly fights on top of a Hong Kong skyscraper to an office contest to see who can shoot the most baskets by tossing wadded-up paper into a wastebasket.

Here's how creepy it gets. They divert apparently millions of dollars worth of high-tech electronic surveillance equipment to monitor Lauren's private life every moment of the day. This means they can watch each other trying to seduce her and also eavesdrop as she gets advice from Trish ( Chelsea Handler ), her BFF. Often they review the surveillance videos together. Is there something about that not entirely consistent with a heterosexual competition? Lauren is obviously only the nexus for their plexus.

The two agents are assigned to the case of Heinrich ( Til Schweiger ), whose robbery they interrupted in Hong Kong. Their boss at the agency is Collins ( Angela Bassett ). Heavens, it must grow tiresome to be a big German movie star who's asked only to stand there and look tall, unshaven and menacing. Goodness, Angela Bassett must feel underemployed when asked only to look tall, shaven and menacing. She can play a no-nonsense strong woman as well as anyone, but what can she do with a role that amounts to delivering zingers and stalking off in high heels?

I've often observed that characters in movies tend to live in nicer apartments than they ought to be able to afford. I don't know what the CIA pays, but FDR has a Los Angeles apartment where the ceiling of a hallway consists of the glass bottom of a swimming pool. Uh, huh.

Are you asking yourself why his name is FDR? You can be excused for guessing it's short for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but I have a better idea. "This Means War" was directed by a man whose entire and complete name is McG. He's probably always wanted a name he didn't have to explain nine times a day.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

This Means War (2012)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, including references; violence and action, and for language

Til Schweiger as Heinrich

Chris Pine as FDR Foster

Angela Bassett as Collins

Tom Hardy as Tuck

Reese Witherspoon as Lauren

Chelsea Handler as Trish

• Simon Kinberg
• Timothy Dowling

Directed by

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This Means War Reviews

Undemanding in the worst ways, the movie’s director and writers have gone to considerable lengths to make this experience as effortless as possible, yet they make it so very difficult to endure.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Feb 23, 2023

This Means War depends on audiences buying into a rather predictable premise of two CIA agents falling for the same woman.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 26, 2022

Be forgiving, and it will probably be enough.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Oct 1, 2020

Only the most hardcore Witherspoon fans are likely to enjoy this film.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.0/4.0 | Sep 26, 2020

It feels more like the first vague sketch of a goofy film concept, than anything else. And it's the film sheer confidence in its own stupidity that impresses me.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 21, 2020

This is a loud, obnoxious endeavor completely devoid of anything remotely coherent. About the biggest surprise in this plodding and predictable fare is the fact it manages to completely waste the talent of all three of its leads.

Full Review | Original Score: F | Apr 13, 2019

Some version of this may have had more personality, unpredictability and overall life to it, but the final product is so smoothed out that we can almost tap out a rhythm in time with the story developments.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Feb 6, 2019

Really, it's the sparks between Pine and Hardy that make This Means War worth watching, as cute as Witherspoon is.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 4, 2019

This Means War may not be the highlight of Tom Hardy or Chris Pine's careers so far, but it's a fun and forgettable holiday romance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 13, 2018

If you don't think too hard about it, you will enjoy yourself; otherwise the film is patently absurd.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Nov 9, 2018

A string of frat boy pranks and countless privacy violations, all in the name of love (?).

Full Review | Aug 23, 2018

If democracy ever comes to an end in the United States and future movie historians look back for the first indication that the fascists were taking over, This Means War will be a good place to start.

Full Review | Aug 10, 2018

Plot wise, the film is quite shaky.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 28, 2017

In continuing his trend of campy dialogue and cliched special effects, [McG] has made a romantic comedy involving dueling spies that even a monkey could figure out.

Full Review | Aug 21, 2017

The most dire romantic comedy in years.

Full Review | May 3, 2015

This Means War finds all new ways to insult 50% of the world's population. Women, hey? Who needs 'em? Not men, that's who! Until they do, I guess

Full Review | Sep 8, 2013

The film's three charming leads help make this superficial comedy worth seeing.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/5 | Jun 30, 2013

The laziest, most cack-handed, most unromantic and most excruciatingly unfunny rom-com I can remember having to sit through.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Mar 14, 2013

It's not the most realistic spy film or the most tear-enducing romance; however, This Means War works as a middle-of-the-road guilty pleasure.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 30, 2012

Being a little absurd is acceptable, but completely throwing reality out the window in a film that tries to ground itself in it is pushing it too much.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 16, 2012

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• DVD & Streaming

This Means War

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

• February 17, 2012
• Reese Witherspoon as Lauren; Chris Pine as FDR Foster; Tom Hardy as Tuck; Chelsea Handler as Trish

Home Release Date

• May 22, 2012

Distributor

• 20th Century Fox

Movie Review

Spy guy Tuck and his suave partner FDR make a pretty great team. They’re like two peas in a well-tailored pod. They can stroll into a party in Hong Kong and instantly blend in with the chic high-dollar crowd. They can charm the guests while smoothly spotting danger and opportunity. And at a moment’s notice they can seamlessly fly into secret agent action, tag-team their way through a small army of Russian thugs and grab a targeted briefcase—without breaking a sweat or even loosening their ties.

When it comes to women, though, this pair of best buds couldn’t be more out of sync. Tuck is a bit shy around the fairer sex. And, if anything, he’d really like to settle down. He has a son, but he and his ex aren’t getting back together any time soon, he can assure you. FDR, on the other hand, is the consummate playa and always on the make. Any girl he sees is an instant target. And he’s handsome and charming enough that, well, his target practice doesn’t take much effort.

But then Lauren enters the scene.

Tuck spots the pretty blonde on a dating site and asks her out. A product tester for a consumer magazine and still reeling from a recent breakup, Lauren is a little embarrassed that her friend posted her pic on the site at all. She goes along with it, though, and Tuck is quickly wowed.

Unfortunately, right after their first meeting, Lauren runs into FDR, who’s unaware of the date she’s just been on with Tuck. He pops out some snappy banter and expects her to swoon. She’s not impressed, and she walks away. That means only one thing to FDR: A smart, attractive woman isn’t interested in him at all—so he must have her.

So what happens when two government agents—with all the technological whizz-bang of the United States at their fingertips—vie for the favor of the same pretty girl?

Why, war, of course.

Positive Elements

For all of the film’s displays of bad behavior and poor choices, there are still a few moments of reason. Tuck, as mentioned, is looking for a solid relationship. And he sees some good relational longevity flowing from the commitment his grandmother and grandfather have for each other. He’s also a loving dad, who wants to do right by his son. [ Spoiler Warning ] He and his ex-wife do eventually reconcile.

FDR eventually falls under the sway of true love as well. He starts feeling something new and unique in his relationship with Lauren (though how that comes to be in the midst of all his deception is a mystery). He begins turning away other female advances.

Even the flaky Trish (Lauren’s friend) voices a few words of relational sense. She speaks of relying on her husband for advice and support. And in that light, she tells Lauren, “Don’t choose the better guy, choose the guy who makes you a better girl.”

Sexual Content

Lauren decides that the only way she can choose between Tuck and FDR is to have sex with both of them. To that end, we see her stripped to her underwear and wrapped around a shirtless FDR as they get intimate on her kitchen counter. The next day he’s naked (but relatively covered) in her bed.

There are a number of other moments of (mostly dressed) passionate necking between Lauren and her two suitors. And spy team members watch and record the trysts and report the activities in slyly measured dialogue, such as, “He just entered the, uh … premises.”

A glass ceiling in FDR’s bachelor pad reveals a pool above, in which he can watch bikini-clad swimmers. Various women wear formfitting and cleavage-revealing outfits at parties and clubs. Lauren walks around in her apartment dressed in a loose sweater that just barely covers her backside. Dancers at a strip club wear barely-there bras, panties and garter belts.

Trish has a series of raw talks with Lauren about the single girl’s dating escapades. Topics range from penile reductions to sexual flexibility to body parts that can be seen through clothing. One of the conversations takes place over the phone while Trish is pants-less and straddling her boxer shorts-wearing husband during sex.

Lauren’s ex-fiancé kisses his new girlfriend in front of Lauren.

Violent Content

Being government agents, FDR and Tuck encounter a number of bullet-flying, bomb-exploding situations when they’re not battling over Lauren. All of those official spy interactions center around a Russian killer who’s set on their destruction after they accidentally kill his brother.

Dozens die in bloody gunfights. The heroes fight at least a dozen baddies in bare-knuckle fistfights and car-leaping takedowns. Men blow up in exploding vehicles, splat to the roadway at high speeds and speed off high bridges to their fiery deaths. And the key explosions and careening vehicles are intermittently showcased with slow-motion detail. Tuck and FDR come out of each battle whole but always bloodied.

At one point, though, the friends turn their full attention to fighting each other over Lauren’s affections. Among other things, they clear out a restaurant as they pummel and bloody each other, crash through glass walls and tumble off a balcony to smash the tables below.

To protect Trish from a killer, Tuck and FDR force her to drive through a highway guardrail and crash her car into a large pool. Tuck’s son is beaten up in a Tae Kwon Do match—the father of the opposing boy yelling for a painful outcome. Later in the film, Tuck punches the big man in the stomach to even the score.

Lauren worries that using a dating site will result in her becoming a “skin suit.” To stop FDR from having sex with Lauren, Tuck shoots his friend with a tranquilizer dart. Lauren accidentally shoots Tuck in the crotch with a paintball gun.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word and a half-dozen s-words. Several uses each of “d‑‑n,” “a‑‑,” “h‑‑‑,” “b‑‑ch” and “b‑‑tard.” God’s name is misused nearly 10 times. There’s one use of “b-llocks.” Someone flips his middle finger at the camera.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Trish has a cup of “special milk” that she keeps her kids away from and drinks from regularly. Hong Kong partygoers drink glasses of wine and champagne. And FDR takes Lauren to a nightclub that sports lots of people with glasses of alcohol. Tuck, FDR and Lauren all drink at parties, at a café and at home on several occasions. While on assignment with FDR, Tuck feigns being drunk.

Trish suggests that her friend needs a joint.

Other Negative Elements

Lauren initially tells FDR that he has “the emotional intelligence of a 15-year-old boy”—but she goes out with him anyway. Trish spills out lots of off-color gags, including a quip about her husband’s “undescended testicle.” The guys talk about a dating site and FDR quips, “Half the girls on that site pee standing up.”

On the face of things, the romcom-with-a-twist idea behind This Means War feels like it could have possibly been fun. Two friends are in love with the same girl but … wait for it … they’re both secret government agents.

Here’s the pitch to the studio execs: There’ll be pretty stars, lots of bam-boom action, secret spy gizmos, and gobs of playful jokes about jealous best friends and a gal who can’t make up her mind. It’ll never be great cinema, but, hey, it could be date night cute.

Other than the movie’s attractive stars, however, cute never really shows up. What’s splashed up on the screen is something much closer to creepy and crass. The two spying beaus keep their true jobs a secret while using government resources and high-tech teams to, well, stalk their prey and voyeuristically record her every intimate moment.

In fact, the whole spy guy scenario quickly becomes ludicrous as these two dudes use tranq darts and surveillance drones to keep each other from “scoring.” And even 1970s-era James Bond would have found the million-dollar cars and bachelor pad with a bikini-girl-in-the-swimming-pool glass ceiling to be a little over the top.

From there it’s an easy veer toward “who’s the hottest lover,” with giggling discussions of body parts and sexing techniques. The worst of the sleazy humor falls to late-night talk show host/comedienne Chelsea Handler—playing Lauren’s raunchy gal-pal who spits out scores of hop-in-the-sack gags while swilling booze from her kids’ sippy cups.

On that front, star Reese Witherspoon, in a Today Show interview, suggested that most of Handler’s raw quips were actually off-script adlibs tossed in to spice things up. “I learned some things I’m gonna try to forget,” Witherspoon jokingly opined.

If you don’t see the movie, you won’t have to do the same.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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This Means War Review

Formulaic flick exists merely as eye candy for women..

2.5 out of 5 Stars, 5/10 Score

In This Article

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‘This Means War’ review: Bromance conquers all

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It’s a hit-and-miss affair as CIA agents/BFFs Chris Pine and Tom Hardy launch highly targeted competing covert love-ops in “This Means War,” both aiming for the heart of a consumer products tester played by Reese Witherspoon. Smart, blond, beautiful but unable to get a guy, Witherspoon’s Lauren Scott is as perky and perfect as she seems, but this lovely is not what gives the movie its kick.

So if you are in the mood for action, there is a whole lot of it here. If you’re in the mood for love, of the swooning, weak-in-the knees sort, there’s not so much. But this is war after all, a bromance, not a romance, muscle, not mush.

The relationship that truly sizzles — from the sentiment to the satire — is the one between FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy), with Pine and Hardy pulling off one of the better bromances in recent memory.

It’s not as if director McG, who was behind the lethally dark drizzle of 2009’s “Terminator Salvation,” has gone soft. He has just injected a razzle-dazzle romance into a high-octane, high-tech action flick in which guns and hearts are pretty much blazing 24/7.

This is McG’s slickest film yet with slight echoes of the kind of male bonding he explored more seriously in the drama of “We Are Marshall” in 2006. It is also his fastest moving, averaging about 120 mph, the better to bypass the potholes in the plot, with veteran director of photography Russell Carpenter (“Titanic” and “True Lies” among others) knowing when to go in for the romantic close-ups and when to pull back for the action shocks.

The sparks begin when Lauren’s best friend Trish, a potty-mouthed mom played by Chelsea Handler, basically doing her Chelsea Handler-brand of female raunch, decides to take Lauren’s love life into her own hands, posting a racy page on a dating site. A few continents away, Tuck and FDR are on assignment — a James Bond-styled operation that lands them in a lux penthouse party looking for a bad guy named Heinrich (Til Schweiger) and involves a great deal of roof-top hanging out and hair-raising derring-do.

Back home in L.A., and grounded for all the ways the Heinrich affair went wrong, single-dad Tuck decides to try finding a soul mate online. Lauren’s profile is discovered and a date is set with FDR stationed nearby in case an emergency extraction is necessary. A chance encounter changes the plan, and the competition for Lauren that will drive the rest of the film is set in motion.

The cameras, the wiretaps, the tracking devices and the two competing CIA crews that Tuck and FDR enlist to help them chart every move Lauren makes become the chief framing device McG and screenwriters Timothy Dowling (“Role Models”) and Simon Kinberg (“Sherlock Holmes”) employ. If you can get past the gross invasion of privacy issues that would exist if this were real life and not just a frothy confection, what you have is some bittersweet fun peppered by bursts of sharp patter, the best between the boys.

Hardy (“Inception”) and Pine (“Star Trek”) are the heart of the film — proving to be excellent opposing sides of the same coin. Both balance their characters’ cynicism with a certain sweetness, their chemistry fairly crackling, electrifying the screen almost any time they’re sharing it, whether taking down a bad guy or squabbling about who is more lovable (it’s a tossup). With Lauren, on the other hand, they are basically gentlemen, so not electrifying.

Though the role doesn’t quite get Witherspoon back where she belongs, Lauren has more of the kind of sweet sass that first made the actress into such a cinematic sweetheart. Since her Oscar win for portraying country star June Carter Cash in 2005’s “Walk the Line,” she has struggled from the middling disappointment of last year’s “Water for Elephants” to the downright deplorable comedy of “Four Christmases” with Vince Vaughn in 2008.

As Lauren, she’s mostly rock ‘n’ roll eye candy — a maniac behind the wheel and not so demur in bed either — but there are occasional flashes of some of the better past lives she’s had.

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Former Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey is an award-winning entertainment journalist and bestselling author. She left the newsroom in 2015. In addition to her critical essays and reviews of about 200 films a year for The Times, Sharkey’s weekly movie reviews appeared in newspapers nationally and internationally. Her books include collaborations with Oscar-winning actresses Faye Dunaway on “Looking for Gatsby” and Marlee Matlin on “I’ll Scream Later.” Sharkey holds a degree in journalism and a master’s in communications theory from Texas Christian University.

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‘This Means War’ Movie Review (2012)

By Brad Brevet

If you’re looking to nitpick you could tear This Means War apart. Whether you begin with the idea Reese Witherspoon would have to resort to online dating to find a man or that CIA agents live in plush condos with swimming pools serving as their ceilings, you could have a field day pulling at every loose end. However, you mix the charm and charisma of both Tom Hardy ( The Dark Knight Rises ) and Chris Pine ( Star Trek ) with some snappy one-liners and tasteless jokes from Chelsea Handler as she wolfs down Cheetos in the midst of a ritualistic sex fantasy with her husband and I was largely entertained for the film’s duration.

This Means War relies wholly on the interplay between Pine and Hardy as FDR and Tuck respectively, a pair of CIA operatives that have been friends for life who now find themselves pining for the same girl. Considering that’s the main thrust of the film, there’s also a small side story involving an international criminal (Til Schweiger) and an opening sequence atop a high rise in Hong Kong that serves as a pretty good example as to how the rest of the film is going to play out. Each scene has a big build, followed by a gag, gimmick or action piece closed out with a witty joke. This isn’t high concept screenwriting, but in short bursts it works thanks to the casting of the male leads.

Witherspoon plays Lauren, a sad-faced girl that can’t seem to find the right man. As far as this film is concerned she’s the meat hanging in the butcher’s showcase to be had, devoured and enjoyed even though screenwriters Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg try and convince us she’s doing what so few women get to do — she’s playing the field.

However you want to look at it, her character gets a few good lines in, but she’s more-or-less used as the object of affection as FDR and Tuck use every government tool at their disposal to sabotage each other’s game while gaining intel for their own plan of attack.

Yes, I’m fully aware of how stupid that sounds and if you’re someone that demands realism from your films this one is most certainly not for you. Satellite and thermal imaging are just a couple of examples of the technology used in an effort to win Witherspoon’s heart. Even a drone is destroyed with a single bullet from a handgun and I would like to think those things could sustain at least one shot from small arms fire before exploding in mid-air. This isn’t The Hurt Locker you’re walking into. A better comparison would be Knight and Day , though at 98 minutes and with an on-the-edge PG-13-rating, this one definitely plays a bit more crass.

The majority of the film’s acidity comes courtesy of Chelsea Handler who adds color to all of Witherspoon’s scenes when Hardy and Pine aren’t around. Playing Lauren’s best friend Trish, Handler portrays a consistently drunk mother with a foul mouth who appears to be living vicariously through Lauren while frequently reminding us how much she loves her husband. In short, she’s something of a paradox and I’m quite sure her personalities would constantly be at war with one another until she ultimately exploded if she were a real person. Like the rest of the film, her character doesn’t make much sense, but she fires off enough one-liners that I appreciated when she was around.

Directed by McG, This Means War has to come as a sign his career is moving in the wrong direction. After successfully breaking out with the Charlie’s Angels films he tried to go serious with the by-the-numbers football feature We Are Marshall and then was handed the keys to the Terminator franchise only to blow that entirely. However, this move backward is probably a good thing as films such as Charlie’s Angels and This Means War may not be the highest caliber of action features, but McG handles them well and this one in particular I had a lot of fun with.

The logic problems are certainly there, but I wasn’t expecting a realistic point-by-point breakdown of the consequences should two CIA agents decide to use company equipment to land a girl. The premise is absurd and I accepted that. What mattered was what was done with that absurdity.

What I hoped for was a film that would take what would most likely be a routine script and give it some pep, and that’s what I got in the performances from Hardy and Pine, two actors that clearly bring a unique energy to most anything they’re involved with even if it is something this formulaic. I also found Christophe Beck’s unique score of interest and Handler, while only tolerable in small doses, added some spunk when necessary.

It’s hard to overlook the slapdash ending and not take it down a couple notches, but for what it’s worth I would certainly watch This Means War again a few months down the line.

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This Means War (2012)

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Chris Hemsworth's New MCU Replacement Franchise Is Better Than A Thor Return

Beverly hills cop: axel f's rotten tomatoes audience score becomes franchise's second best by just 2%, the director who made jason statham a star would be perfect to save his failing $840 million franchise, for the sum of its parts, this means war is likely to work as a middle-of-the-road guilty pleasure experience that can satisfy a diverse range of filmgoers..

For many moviegoers, the combination of Tom Hardy ( The Dark Knight Rises ) and Chris Pine ( Star Trek ) in the role of CIA operative partners (or, to the outside world, travel agent and cruise ship captain, respectively) would, in another film, be a recipe for hard-hitting action full of witty tongue-in-cheek charm. However, in director McG's latest film offering, action is only one part of the equation. The rest? Sex, romance, and plenty of "did she really say that" one-liners from Chelsea Handler.

As a result, does the spy versus spy action-romcom,  This Means War present enough witty romance set-ups, exciting action sequences, and cathartic comedy moments to offer a moviegoing experience that anyone can enjoy?

Despite a solid cast of especially charismatic leads including Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy, there's no doubt that McG has a pretty mixed pedigree - even when he's working with top-tier talent (just look at  Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle ). That said, the director has successfully paired solid action offerings with campy comedy moments in the past (as in the original Charlie's Angels movie) - so it's not entirely a surprise that given the rich set up and a trio of charming headliners, McG actually delivers an entertaining, albeit flawed and predictable film that will appeal to a wider audience than the normal romance flick crowd.

As mentioned, the success of the film is due in large part to the core storyline - which pits best friends (and CIA operative partners) FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) against one another for the affections of the same girl, Lauren (Witherspoon). On duty, the pair are lethal killing machines, but while off duty, FDR is a brash and reckless playboy who hunts for potential hook-ups by faking chance encounters with lonely girls in a video rental store - while Tuck, who hasn't dated in years, takes to a Match.com -like website to find the love of his life. The set up is pretty basic, but as the rivalry between the men escalates and the pair begin to utilize their spy training (as well as CIA resources) to get a leg up on the other, there's no shortage of entertaining moments. A side story featuring bad guy, Heinrich (Til Schweiger), who carries out a vendetta against the pair, is mostly an afterthought to all of the crazy dating hijinks, stuffed in for a bit more action, but the through-line ultimately works and doesn't overstay its welcome.

That said, savvy moviegoers will easily be able to anticipate all of the converging story lines in the third act - and should have no problem predicting exactly how events will play out. In general, the various characters in This Means War are too familiar - and, much like a puzzle you've put together on more than one occasion, it's nearly impossible to avoid the obvious way in which all these pieces will ultimately interconnect. The familiarity doesn't take away from the film's entertaining banter between characters, silly covert date sabotaging, or adequate action offerings - but will make it difficult to believe that when it comes to Lauren's affections, Tuck and FDR are actually working on a level playing field.

One of the film's greatest strengths is the dynamic between the two leading men (as well as how Witherspoon plays off of the potential suitors). Hardy and Pine, who've both shown a knack in prior films for balancing charm with tough-guy muscle, have great chemistry - resulting in an entertaining rivalry that also allows for some genuinely kick-butt action beats. That said, at its core, This Means War is a romantic comedy - which means that action-lovers who are expecting something  along the lines of the light-hearted but still explosive Mr. & Mrs. Smith might find McG's spy film to be over-stuffed with goofy melodrama to the detriment of the spy storyline. This isn't really a fault of the film itself, but based on the movie's  Bad Boys -like marketing campaign, there's likely to be more than a few moviegoers who are underwhelmed by the ratio of action to romance.

Whereas the Pine and Hardy storyline will make the film serviceable for audiences who are less impressed with movies like The Vow , the banter between Witherspoon and Chelsea Handler (who plays Lauren's best friend) keep things from getting too serious - and, for the most part, the combination actually results in a film that captures workable aspects of all the genres at play. While it's hard to say that This Means War utilizes the "best" action, comedy, and romance tropes, the resulting mash-up succeeds at finding a middle ground that, while not particularly innovative or intelligent, can be pretty entertaining at times.

This Means War is an extremely "familiar" experience, both in terms of how the plot plays-out as well as the scene-to-scene gags, but for anyone who can accept the film's romantic-comedy core McG has successfully delivered an entertaining genre mash-up. It's not the most realistic spy film, or the most outrageous comedy, or the most tear-enducing romance; however, for the sum of its parts, This Means War is likely to work as a middle-of-the-road guilty pleasure experience that can satisfy a diverse range of filmgoers.

If you’re still on the fence about  This Means War , check out the trailer below:

[poll id="275"]

Follow me on Twitter @ benkendrick  - and let us know what you thought of the film below.

This Means War is rated PG-13 for some sexual content. Now playing in theaters.

This Means War

This Means War is an action rom-com starring Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, and Reese Witherspoon. The film centers on Witherspoon's character, Lauren, a woman who is being fought over by two CIA operatives that are also best friends. Director McG helmed the 2012 film, which was produced by Will Smith.

• Movie Reviews
• 2.5 star movies

This Means War (United States, 2012)

Sometimes it's hard to recognize the importance of seemingly inconsequential element like "tone" when it comes to a romantic comedy. This Means War is a case study in what happens when the filmmakers mess this up. The movie is being marketed as an "action romantic comedy," but the "action" aspect is really just a little flavoring that shows up at the beginning and the end. It's jokey action - a would-be parody of over-the-top spy situations like those in Bond movies and the recent Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol . But it's clumsily presented, generating neither excitement nor humor. At the heart of the movie is a romantic triangle between three impossibly good-looking people who are so uninteresting that we keep hoping the sleazy bad guy will show up and shoot them all.

Maybe I'm being unreasonable. Maybe I'm asking too much that a romantic comedy makes me feel something other than apathy. Maybe it's wrong of me to hope the most sympathetic character ends up with more than a throw-in consolation prize. I can't say whether the biggest problem with This Means War lies in the direction, the acting, or the screenplay, but all three elements are contributors. Romantic comedies, especially those that overdose on steroids, are supposed to uplift. This one is just depressing.

FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are elite spies with a history of getting the job done in the messiest way possible. After a failed attempt to capture international terrorist Heinrich (Til Schweiger) goes awry, leaving mayhem, destruction, and dead bodies all over, FDR and Tuck are assigned desk jobs. Heinrich, meanwhile, plots revenge, since one of those dead bodies belongs to his brother. Back at Spy Central, Tuck decides it's time for him to get back into the dating scene. He signs up with an on-line agency and, presto!, he has a date with Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a thirtysomething woman so devoted to her job that she doesn't have room in her life for a pet. Tuck and Lauren have a great first date but, after it's over, she accidentally bumps into FDR (Chris Pine) and, after a rocky getting-to-know-you period, they too are going out. It doesn't take long for Tuck and FDR to discern they're after the same woman, although she's clueless that they're best friends. They make a pact not to let Lauren come between them but, of course, that's a deal they are unable to keep.

There's not a lot of chemistry between Tom Hardy and Reese Witherspoon and even less between Witherspoon and Chris Pine. There are moments when Pine and Witherspoon generate something close to sexual tension, but the Hardy/Witherspoon vibe is more of the "best friends" variety. The element that fractures This Means War , however, is the friendship between Pine and Hardy's characters. These two are supposed to be as close at two non-gay guys can be. Yet there's a chill that never thaws. A good romantic triangle where friends vie for the same woman demands that we believe in the bond between the men, and it doesn't happen here.

Director McG, who should sign a cross-promotional deal with the Golden Arches, is more concerned about the film's "coolness" factor than he is about character interaction. There's a clever little scene in which FDR and Tuck sneak around Lauren's apartment planting bugs while she prances and dances through the rooms. There are a lot of surveillance shots as Tuck spies on FDR's dates and vice versa. And the beginning and end are chock full of gunshots, explosions, car crashes, and dead bodies. McG's style here is more akin to the one he used for Charlie's Angels than We Are Marshall .

Reese Witherspoon comes to This Means War with her days as Hollywood's highest paid actress well behind her. She has plenty of charisma, but it's mostly wasted here. And her character has somehow been given the moral high ground, despite the fact she's dating two guys behind each other's back and intends to sleep with both to decide which one is the "keeper." The two male leads, both of whom have Star Trek connections, are intended to be an odd couple. Tom Hardy, despite having played some hard-asses in recent movies ( Warrior , for example), is meek and low-key here - qualities that at times are ill-fitting. Meanwhile, Chris Pine appears to have tweaked his James T. Kirk persona by upping the asshole quotient. The standout is not one of the leads - it's Chelsea Handler, who play's Lauren's obligatory Best Friend. She has all the best lines and it's immediately apparent that This Means War would have been a lot better if her role had been enhanced.

Some will undoubtedly be satisfied by the way things are resolved. I found the wrap-up to be semisweet at best, although perhaps not as unpalatable as if I had been more invested in the characters and their relationships. The "consolation prize" I mentioned earlier is more of an insult than a good way to provide closure and, although it doesn't come completely out of left field, it has been shoehorned in for maximum happy ending impact.

This Means War is not funny enough to succeed as a comedy. It's not emotionally deft enough to succeed as a romance. And it's not exciting enough to succeed as an action film. It's a high-energy, fast-paced explosion of moments that can be edited together to make a compelling trailer. With a nod to McG's background, it looks and feels like a 98-minute music video without the music - all splash and little heart. A lot of romantic comedies fail because they're too saccharine. This Means War could have used a little more of that.

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This Means War Review

02 Mar 2012

This Means War

How to attract both men and women to the cinema in equal numbers? It’s the age-old dilemma for studios. One gender — says the conventional wisdom — wants action, explosions and large things being smashed. The other, so the story goes, prefers emotion, kisses and fabulous shoes. Here at last is a film almost scientifically designed to appeal to both camps, covering all those factors like a checklist. The good news? It’s also entertaining.

That’s largely thanks to great casting. As unhappy singleton Lauren, Reese Witherspoon pulls off the tricky task of remaining sympathetic while seeing two gorgeous men, her character trying for an insouciant approach to modern dating that clearly doesn’t come naturally. Whether she’s bonding with BFF Trish (US comedienne Chelsea Handler), trading barbs with Chris Pine or flirting with Tom Hardy, Witherspoon handles it with such finesse that you won’t realise until later how much the film depends on her walking the line between relatable to women and desirable to men, between fortunate and afflicted.

As the suitors, Pine and Hardy offer a study in contrasts. Pine is the cocky ladies’ man, Hardy the gruff loner with the soft heart. It’s familiar territory for both (cf. Star Trek; Warrior), but more importantly they convince as friends, rivals and spies. Also crucially, both men retain our sympathies by convincing us that they genuinely want Lauren and aren’t just playing to win. It’s even possible that there are also some smart observations in here about the dating game: learning more about what Lauren wants by eavesdropping on her private life, both men scramble to correct the shortcomings she perceives, resulting in some unlikely self-reflection and attempts to change how she sees them. It’s the Heisenberg uncertainty principle as it applies to dating, something we doubt was first intended.

Any such cleverness, however, is incidental to the sex-comedy shenanigans, explosions and car chases; after all, there’s bad guy Til Schweiger to contend with. The opening scene sees an undercover mission in Hong Kong somehow devolve into a shoot-out that takes in (or better, takes out) a crowded rooftop party and involves the use of wing suits; it’s not terribly original but it serves to establish the two reckless spies and their tough boss (Angela Bassett, tragically underused), as well as introducing Schweiger’s Heinrich, the focus of their investigation. A night-club punch-up around the halfway mark is much better, but the big action comes in a freeway car chase late on. Inbetween, it’s left to the spies’ scrambling attempts to outdo one another in love to raise the comedy temperature and keep the action fans happy. Their methods — spy cams; chemical warfare; use of sniper rifles in extremis — are sufficiently unorthodox to avoid romantic cliché, although rumours from the script stage of a city left in rubble by the spies’ rivalry are unrealised. Still, there’s a fair bit of collateral catastrophe and you will be left wondering how on Earth they escape this episode with their careers intact, given the blatant misuse of Bureau resources and flagrant breach of any number of laws on covert surveillance.

While the final result of all this is as slick and shiny as Hollywood can make it, the chemistry between all three leads makes this a likable and frothy confection that’s closer in tone to director McG’s TV successes — Chuck especially — than his recent cinema outings. And that is a very good thing no matter what your sex.

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This means war, common sense media reviewers.

Lackluster action romcom has violence, sexual references.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie's ultimate message is that you shouldn't

At first, the guys are willing to back away from L

Plenty of action-packed, quickly edited violence.

One love scene (the woman is shown in her bra and

One "f--k" and several uses of "s--t," plus "ass,"

Many shots of Mac computers and various cars, incl

Adults drink socially at various dinners and dates

Parents need to know that This Means War is a romantic comedy-meets-spy thriller with lots of sexual innuendo, passionate kissing, and action violence (including shooting and some deaths, though nothing particularly graphic). The language includes one use of "f--k," as well as "s--t," "bitch," "ass," "d--k,"…

Positive Messages

The movie's ultimate message is that you shouldn't put on an act while you're dating someone. But for most of the movie, both men are using information they've acquired as CIA agents to woo Lauren under false premises. Still, Lauren decides that the only advice she needs isn't "who's the better guy" but who makes her the better girl.

Positive Role Models

At first, the guys are willing to back away from Lauren when each realizes that the other is seeing her, too, but then they decide to vie for her affections. The two agents don't play fairly and pretend to be interested in things only because they know Lauren loves them.

Violence & Scariness

Plenty of action-packed, quickly edited violence. Characters die, but it's not gory -- several are shot in quick succession; another falls off the side of a building. Tuck and FDR threaten a possible informant with a wrench and get into fights during their missions. Explosions, gun shots, hand-to-hand combat, and martial arts moves, but the body count isn't high, and the scenes are so fast paced that you can barely tell who's hurt where.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

One love scene (the woman is shown in her bra and panties; the man is shirtless), plus lots of make-out scenes and references to sex -- like when Lauren decides to have a "sex tiebreaker," or her best friend, Trish, discusses who looks like he'd have "dirty sex." Trish also encourages Lauren to talk about the fact that she was a gymnast, because guys like women who are "flexible" and can do certain things in bed. A man describes sex as "entered the premises"; two best friends swear not to have sex with Lauren but then do it anyway.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

One "f--k" and several uses of "s--t," plus "ass," "bitch," "bastard," "damn," "horny pants," "p---y," "d--k," "hell," "crap," "oh my God," "idiots," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Many shots of Mac computers and various cars, including a Camaro, a Suburban, an Audi, and a BMW.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink socially at various dinners and dates. One character stashes alcohol in a sippy cup and at one point refers to her drink as "mommy's special milk." She also refers to her marital sex appointment as doing it "with Cheetos and wine."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that This Means War is a romantic comedy-meets-spy thriller with lots of sexual innuendo, passionate kissing, and action violence (including shooting and some deaths, though nothing particularly graphic). The language includes one use of "f--k," as well as "s--t," "bitch," "ass," "d--k," and the like. There's one love scene and several references to sex (including doing it with two guys as a "tiebreaker") and many make-out scenes. Although the movie's premise is comical, it can also send the iffy message that lying about who you are can win someone's heart. Note: The movie was initially rated R but was re-rated PG-13 upon appeal. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (13)
• Kids say (32)

Based on 13 parent reviews

Not properly rated

What's the story.

CIA partners FDR ( Chris Pine ) and Tuck ( Tom Hardy ) are best friends who have each other's back at all times ... until they both fall for the same woman, Lauren ( Reese Witherspoon ). When they realize that they're both seeing her, the pals agree to compete for her affection and then enlist their coworkers to start spying on her to get the inside track to win her heart. Meanwhile, the spies have to contend with Heinrich ( Til Schweiger ), a vengeful international arms dealer whose brother died because of FDR and Tuck. But they're too busy wooing Lauren to realize that the German baddie has figured out exactly how to enact his revenge.

Is It Any Good?

THIS MEANS WAR's premise is admittedly cute, and it stars a trio of appealing, talented actors, but it doesn't have much else going for it. Unfortunately, it fails to deliver on anything but a few easy laughs and a constant reminder that Witherspoon is one of Hollywood's irresistible sweethearts. Its downfall is that the central love triangle features the stereotypical foils of a fun-loving and sweet (read: boring) single dad (Hardy) versus a womanizing cad with a secret heart of gold (read: edgy), played by Pine.

These guys act like fraternity brothers who've bet on who can bed a girl first, all under the guise of discovering true love. But true love isn't based on subterfuge and spies. And regardless of whom Lauren chooses, neither man is truly worthy of her, because they both lie to her and endanger their friendship in the process. Sure, there's a supposedly happy ending, but it feels like the decks are fundamentally stacked against the nice guy, since he doesn't undergo a big personality change during the courtship. While all three leads have all been great in other films, this one is a forgettable disappointment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why so many movies, books, and more revolve around the premise of a love triangle. What's the appeal of that kind of story? Do you think it's a realistic situation?

What messages does This Means War send about relationships? Do you think Lauren treats one or both of the men unfairly? Are the men wrong to spy on Lauren to get ahead in the competition for her love? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding love and relationships.

Tuck's ex-wife becomes interested in him again when she finds out he's really a CIA agent. Are women only interested in men with "cool" or well-paying jobs? Would you want to be in a relationship with someone whose interest in you was based on your job?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 14, 2012
• On DVD or streaming : May 22, 2012
• Cast : Chris Pine , Reese Witherspoon , Tom Hardy
• Director : McG
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Friendship
• Run time : 98 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sexual content including references, some violence and action, and for language (on appeal; previously rated R)
• Last updated : January 20, 2024

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Movie Review: This Means War (2012)

• David Ferguson
• Movie Reviews
• 6 responses
• --> February 20, 2012

Well it is mid-February and already my hope is that This Means War is the worst movie I will sit through all year. It’s a waste of talent and utterly senseless . . . which would be fine if it happened to be funny as advertised. Instead, the screenwriters — Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg — and its director haphazardly manage to mash-up a spy thriller, an action film, a buddy film, and a romantic comedy into something that is none of those but a slap to the face of the viewers.

This amalgam of so much that offers so little is directed by McG, whose first two theatrical films were the treats “ Charlie’s Angels ” and “ Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle .” I make mention of this because both of those flicks had more and better action sequences and were more reasonable than this, his fifth outing (that says plenty). This Means War does, however, star three very attractive people in Chris Pine, Tom Hardy and Reese Witherspoon. Their job is to continue to look attractive, sparkly eyes and all, in each progressively more absurd scene. Chelsea Handler is tossed in as Witherspoon’s married friend, who doles out horrible and trashy dating advice in what sounds like a lousy stand-up comedy routine. Angela Bassett, a normally fine actress, is totally out of place in her couple of scenes as the always-angry boss. Til Schweiger (“ Inglourious Basterds ”) is totally wasted as the generic bad guy.

The razor thin plot that they find themselves in basically bookends several lackluster action sequences that are brain defyingly ridiculous. It chronicles the goings-on of two best buddy, co-worker CIA spies, FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy), who find themselves competing (and using every covert trick in the book) for the affections of the same girl, Lauren (Witherspoon), who is taking advice from her nasty, jealous friend. How things progress is very mechanical; made all the more tedious as it all enfolds with cartoony action, no suspense, minimal comedy and absolutely no logical sense. One of the minor details that was really irritating was a scene that takes place in a giant video store where FDR and Lauren are debating the hierarchy of Hitchcock films. In and of itself, that would be fine, hell, it may very well be provoking. But this banal conversation takes place in front of a display of multiple copies of Hitchcock’s “ The Lady Vanishes .” Multiple copies (probably more copies than Amazon has in stock). In a video store (as if they’re around nowadays).

Throw in an escalating series of outlandish dates (coupled with outlandish attempts at spoiling them), a multi-million dollar bachelor pad for Pine (what is the salary for a 30 yr old spy?), and buddy dialogue that makes the repartee between Riggs and Murtaugh or Tango and Cash sound like the Lincoln-Douglas debates and it’s easy to see common sense was not staple for the script.

As best as I can surmise, This Means War is supposed to be an action flick for chicks. There is some gunfire, lots of muscles, plenty of fluff and childlike banter coming from two attractive spies who both love the attractive woman who is desperate to be loved. Women, however, can do, and deserve, so much better.

I'm from Texas. That's all you need to know. For now...

Movie Review: In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) Movie Review: We Bought a Zoo (2011)

'Movie Review: This Means War (2012)' have 6 comments

February 20, 2012 @ 10:50 pm Dorgon

McG is the director. Did you need another warning sign telling you to not see this pile of crap?!

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February 20, 2012 @ 11:37 pm Barb

I hate these types of movies with a passion.

February 21, 2012 @ 6:03 am Theo

The trailers for this are terrible! Your review confirms not a chance in hell I’ll see this.

February 21, 2012 @ 1:00 pm eNerd

I’d stick forks in my eyes before I watched anything with that hack Chelsea Handler.

February 22, 2012 @ 10:42 am Pug Nation

I like Chris Pine and to a lesser extent Reese Witherspoon but neither of them is particularly good in this movie.

February 23, 2012 @ 4:28 pm Kris

I’ll probably get shot for saying this: I had a good time at my viewing. Agreed, the premise is nonsensical, but the dialogue was funny and those action sequences you lambast were good too.

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This Means War

Review by brian eggert february 15, 2012.

This Means War contains all the superficial requirements to make a movie trailer that sells: a cornball soundtrack, big-name stars, and a playful tone. The good-looking cast includes the formerly highest-paid actress in Hollywood, Reese Withersoon, starring opposite Chris Pine ( Star Trek ) and Tom Hardy ( Warrior , also The Dark Knight Rises later this year). This is an attractive bunch, bound to draw audiences. Evidence of romance and action permeates the material, following two fun-loving CIA spies as they compete for the affections of one woman. As she teeter-totters between them, unaware that her beaus know each other, the two men use every tool in their arsenal to thwart the other’s chances. Shootouts, a car chase, and dangerous stunts ensue (here’s yet another Hollywood production where someone leaps from a skyscraper in Hong Kong). And despite these promising qualities, this piece of commercial filmmaking contains few of the requirements to make a good movie.

Almost instantly, during the unintelligibly shot and hastily edited opening action sequence, the promise of the trailer fades. We learn that agents FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy, British accent strangely intact) share an incomparable bromance, even (if not especially ) when they’re saving the world from an ambiguous Euro-villain (Til Schweiger). When a botched operation leaves them “grounded” to desk jobs by their ever-nose-thumbing superior (Angela Bassett), the divorcé Tuck decides to spend his time dating through an online service. Enter Lauren (Witherspoon), a successful and single modern professional. Turns out, unbeknownst to her, Lauren’s sex-obsessed best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) has signed her up for the same dating service. Of course, Tuck and Lauren meet for a brief date and they hit it off. But afterward, by chance, Lauren goes into a video store to rent a movie and there she meets FDR, with whom she eventually connects as well.

It should be noted that during the initial conversation between Lauren and FDR, she calls The Lady Vanishes (1938) one of Hitchcock’s “second tier” films next to his more popular American productions. If it were me, I would have probably debated with her about the film’s merits and, in finding that her judgment of Hitchcock’s oeuvre was poorly argued, avoided the ensuing relationship altogether, which would have saved the audience a lot of grief. Alas, this does not happen. Later we learn that FDR is willing to happily rewatch Titanic , thus his movie tastes aren’t exactly fine-tuned either, so perhaps they deserve each other. Oh, and by the way, are there even video rental stores anymore? Does this movie take place in 2008?

Anyway, the second act is the movie’s most enjoyable period—a half-hour stretch where the spies realize they’re both dating the same woman and make a “gentleman’s agreement” to allow Lauren to choose the better man. Punchy, rapid-fire dialogue and some physical humor between these mates supplies their extreme measures with a few laugh-out-loud moments. That is, until the aforementioned Euro-villain reappears in the final act for an obligatory helping of explosions and car wrecks. Eventually, Lauren discovers that the two men know each other and goes into a defensive But I trusted you! mode, having apparently forgotten that she’s a two-timer. But hey, it’s Reese Witherspoon, so it’s okay. To be sure, the performers complete the tasks required of them: Witherspoon looks cute; Pine is handsome, and raises the limit on his cocky quotient for the role; Hardy, too, is handsome, and gives his character a touch of vulnerability; Handler spews her raunchy stand-up material for a laugh.

The movie comes from a former music video director who bills himself as “McG”—you’ve no doubt seen his products Charlie’s Angels and Terminator: Salvation —and, indeed, writers Simon Kinberg ( Mr. & Mrs. Smith ) and Timothy Dowling ( Just Go with It ) deliver a script with about as much substance as a music video. There’s an action scene in a PG-13-rated strip club. Witherspoon dances around in lounge clothes singing “This Is How We Do It” as her spy suitors recon her home for intel. There are several “dream dates” within this love triangle, where either man takes her out on some impossibly perfect romantic evening (Lauren never seems to work; she only goes on dates). There’s even one of those scenes that occurs in a lot of romantic comedies, where the characters find a reason to spray each other with water from hoses while they laugh like idiots. And almost everything that happens requires little from actors, except that they look good in the process.

Succeeding neither as a romance nor buddy comedy nor an action movie, This Means War reminds us why the romantic comedy has grown more tired than any other commercial genre. We sit through shaky, incomprehensible gunplay and worn-out rom-com tropes until what turns out to be a rather ridiculously unsatisfying conclusion. Lauren has a choice between the two men. In a way, she shouldn’t pick either of them. It would serve them—and her—right. Both men are equally good for her and neither one is absolutely the correct choice, but instead of making a noble decision and not choosing, she picks one, leaving the other with a predictable consolation that nevertheless proves to be of little solace for the audience. This movie is so desperate to please the mainstream that it’s afraid to be different; therefore, it must provide a solution, any solution, just so the viewer’s brain isn’t taxed. Undemanding in the worst ways, the movie’s director and writers have gone to considerable lengths to make this experience as effortless as possible, yet they make it so very difficult to endure.

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This Means War

This means war review.

By Rich Cline

Facts and Figures

Year : 2011

Run time : 103 mins

In Theaters : Friday 17th February 2012

Box Office USA : $54.8M

Budget : $65M

Distributed by : Twentieth Century Fox

Production compaines : Overbrook Films, Robert Simonds Productions

Contactmusic.com : 3.5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes : 26% Fresh: 44 Rotten: 125

IMDB : 6.4 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director : McG

Producer : Simon Kinberg , James Lassiter , Robert Simonds , Will Smith

Screenwriter : Timothy Dowling , Simon Kinberg

Starring : Reese Witherspoon as Lauren, Chris Pine as FDR Foster, Tom Hardy as Tuck, Laura Vandervoort as Britta, Angela Bassett as Collins, Kasey Ryne Mazak as Ken, Warren Christie as Steve, Natassia Malthe as Xenia, Til Schweiger as Heinrich, Chelsea Handler as Trish, John Paul Ruttan as Joe, Abigail Spencer as Katie, Rosemary Harris as Nana Foster, George Touliatos as Grandpa Foster, Clint Carleton as Jonas, Leela Savasta as Kelly, Paul Wu as Korean Leader, Daren A. Herbert as Agent Bothwick, Kevin O'Grady as Agent Boyles, Jesse Reid as Agent Dickerman

Also starring : Simon Kinberg , James Lassiter , Robert Simonds , Will Smith

• This Means War Movie Site
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This Means War Parent Guide

If neglecting your duty to intercept an international arms dealer to squander government personnel and resources on a personal agenda is funny then "this means war" should be hilarious..

Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) is debating between two men of interest in her life. What she doesn't know is both are CIA agents that have been assigned as partners. When the boys (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) discover they are dating the same girl, the battle is on to see which one will win her love.

Release date February 17, 2012

Run Time: 98 minutes

Official Movie Site

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

If neglecting your duty to intercept an international arms dealer and instead squandering government personnel and resources on a personal agenda is funny, then This Means War should be hilarious.

Hot on the trail of a Russian mobster named Heinrich (Til Schweiger), CIA agents FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) share more than a common work goal. The pair, who survived a botched mission in Afghanistan, have become good buddies as well. But all that changes when they discover they are dating the same woman. Suddenly Heinrich is all but forgotten while the confirmed womanizer FDR assumes he can easily outplay his partner Tuck who hasn’t dated since his divorce. Although they agree to let the best man win when it comes to love, each resorts to using highly sophisticated agency surveillance equipment and officers to spy on the other’s activities—some of which get a little steamy.

However for a film aimed squarely at women who would kill to find themselves in a similar predicament, this production contains plenty of brutal fistfights, explosive encounters and gunfire that result in death or injury. (Maybe that is to mollify the men who get dragged into this movie for date night.) Previously rated R for sexual content, the script also includes frequent and descriptive suggestive dialogue and innuendo, along with some depictions of sexual activity that not only glamorize casual sex but also crude sexual humor.

Unfortunately these government agents spend too much time lying about themselves and playing down right dirty with each other to be entertaining for long. And while the battles wage on the screen, it soon feels like it is the audience’s intelligence that is under assault in This Means War.

About author

Kerry Bennett

This means war rating & content info.

Why is This Means War rated PG-13? This Means War is rated PG-13 by the MPAA PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action. Edited For Rerate After Appeal: Originally rated R for for some sexual content.

Violence: Numerous characters are shot and killed. Several characters are shot in the leg to keep them from running away. Others fall to their death, are blown up or choked with a phone cord. Characters repeatedly engage in hand-to-hand combat, sometimes resulting in bloody injuries. Guns are frequently used. A man is threatened during police questioning. A man shoots at a surveillance plane and blows it up. A dog attacks a man’s face. A character viciously plays a game of paintball that involves children. One man is shot in the groin. Two children exchange punches in a martial arts class. A man deliberately hits another in the stomach, causing extreme pain. A character is shot in the neck with a tranquilizer gun. Characters break into a woman’s home and listen in on her private conversations using unsanctioned methods and government equipment. Men lie about themselves. Cars crash and explode killing the occupants. Two men commandeer a car. Excessive property damage is shown without consequences.

Sexual Content: Characters talk frequently about sexual activity, often using crude innuendo and descriptive suggestive dialogue. A woman drapes her leg over a man before kissing him. Couples kiss passionately as they undress one another. A woman is seen in her underwear. One scene implies a couple has sex. Men, who are manning surveillance cameras, watch. A partially clothed couple engages in sexual activity. A woman in seen in a bikini. Several pole dances at a strip club are shown. A woman suggests having sex outside of her married relationship. A man confesses to his past dalliances. A tag on a dating service suggests a woman is open to many kinds of sexual relationships.

Language: The script includes a strong sexual expletive, a crude hand gesture and frequent crass terms for human anatomy or sexual activity. Correct anatomical terms are also used in discussion about male anatomy. Profanities, scatological slang and terms of Deity are used as well.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Alcohol is present in numerous scenes including in a bar, over dinner, at a strip joint and in a nightclub. A woman refers to her “special milk” and later admits it is vodka in a child’s sipping cup. A man pretends to be drunk. A woman comments that she needs a joint.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

This Means War Parents' Guide

Does the property damage seem less important since there are no consequences shown for it? How would employers likely view these men’s actions when it comes to misusing company property and personnel?

How are both men dishonest with Lauren? What do you think about her decision to use sexual relations as a tiebreaker? Should that be the ultimate deciding factor in a long-term relationship? Which one of the men kept his gentlemen’s promise? What does that say about him? What does it say about the other man? What are the most important qualities when it comes to building trust in a relationship?

Why might this film have more appeal to women than men? How does a female fantasy film differ from a male fantasy film?

The most recent home video release of This Means War movie is May 22, 2012. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: This Means War

Release Date: 22 May 2012

This Means War releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following bonus extras:

- Extended and theatrical versions of the film

- Alternate Endings (with Optional Commentary by Director McG): Warehouse Alternate Ending, Alternate Ending #1 and Alternate Ending #2

- Bachelorette Party

- Uncensored Gag Reel

- Deleted Scenes (with optional Commentary by Director McG): Trish & Lauren Chat / Shooting Range, Jonas’ Funeral, Post Pizza, Ex-Girlfriends, Visiting Joe and Lauren Freaking Out

- Alternative Opening Concept (Previews with Optional Commentary by Director McG)

- Audio Commentary by Director McG (standard and extended versions)

- Theatrical Trailer

Related home video titles:

Chris Pine plays another cocky womanizer in Star Trek . Tom Hardy takes on the role of a gambler in Inception . And Reese Witherspoon is the romantic interest in Sweet Home Alabama , and Water for Elephants .