The Heat

Movie:  The Heat
Major Actors: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Marlon Wayans, Jane Curtin, Taran Killam, Michael McDonald
Rating: R
Best Audience: Adults only

Review:

The best thing about the Heat is the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.  Both are individually so talented.  Both have a history of comedic brilliance.  Together, they play off each other's strengths as actors and really make the funny lines and physical comedy feel natural. 

I also loved the fact that Marlon Wayans is playing it "straight" in this movie. He usually plays silly, comedic roles, and in this film, he is the "straight man." 

The only downside to this movie is that the "big twist" of who the real bad guy is ends up being quite predictable.  However, this is a comedy, so that doesn't matter much.  The main thing is that this movie is FUNNY.  I also love the fact that it has two women as the lead actors in movie roles that are usually played by men. 

This movie has a lot of strong language.  So be wary of that before you see it. 

This is Forty

Movie:  This is Forty
Major Actors: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Megan Fox, John Lithgow, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd
Rating: R
Best Audience: Adults only

Review:

I am starting to get sick of all the fighting in Judd Apatow films (Apatow is the director).  This movie is supposed to be based on Apatow's life.  The wife and two kids in the film are Apatow's actual wife and two kids.  In an interview, Apatow said he loves fighting.  That is very apparent.  It makes me wildly uncomfortable.  I know it is real.  He sought to portray a real marriage and marriage has fighting.  However, you don't go to the movies to see a "comedy" because you want to see something "real."  You go to be entertained.  If you wanted something that feels real, you'd go to see Flight or Zero Dark Thirty.  The more I see the movie Knocked Up (to which this movie is supposed to be the sequel), the more I don't like it.  This movie is a lot like Knocked Up in that there are many funny moments, but they are dispersed between very uncomfortable moments of a lot of fighting.  I'm sure a lot of people admire that aspect of the two movies, but personally, I just don't care for it. 

Unusually enough, the funniest part of this movie occured during the credits!  Melissa McCarthy, who is in every other movie lately, was hilarious as an angry mother at odds with Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann).  She had a scene where she was yelling at them in the principal's office, and during the credits, it showed the outakes.  McCarthy did not break character at all as she yelled at them while they could not stop laughing.