The Heat R
On a roll following the estrogen-soaked hit Bridesmaids, director Paul Feig takes on this cop buddy project centered around two dysfunctional, yet effective, female operatives. In order to catch a ruthless drug lord, uptight FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) teams with cranky Boston detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy). The law enforcement officers could hardly be more different, causing Ashburn to struggle to keep the upper hand against Mullins’ show of brute force. In time, the duo will come to appreciate one another’s abilities, but first there will be trash talk, vulgar humor and fish-out-of-water awkwardness aplenty. Straightforward storytelling is a sore point, but seeing Bullock attempt to remain classy when confronted by McCarthy’s brassy character should be a tickler. (Lisa Miller)
White House Down PG-13
Having arrived at the White House to apply for a Secret Service position, a resourceful Capitol Policeman, John Cale (Channing Tatum), fights back when heavily armed killers invade the First Home. Where Olympus Has Fallen posited North Korean invaders, this time the attack is an inside job involving both American politicians and our own armed forces. Tasteless scripting drops the president (Jamie Foxx) and the cop into a buddy comedy as the White House crumbles. Foxx appears foolish while beefy Tatum seems miscast as an action-comedy hero. Director Roland Emmerich (2012 and Day After Tomorrow) might just earn himself a major time-out. (L.M.)
