There’s a party going on atop a high rise building and two CIA agents, Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR Foster (Chris Pine) have crashed it, literally, in an attempt to take down Heinrich (Til Schweiger), a criminal about to make a one-sided deal. Six men in the morgue and one man on the ground below Agent Collins (Angela Bassett), their boss is not happy since Heinrich also got away. So Collins decides to put the best friends to rest for a while, grounding them until further notice.
Two men that work for the CIA out of Los Angeles with nothing to do so they decide to try dating. Tuck has a son, Joe (John Paul Ruttan), but Katie (Abigail Spencer) his mom wants nothing to do with a travel agent, the job she thinks Tuck does for a living. Lord forbid she looks at the man and not just his wallet! Bitter! Party of one your table is ready! What better way to find love than on the internet right? Well kind of! After a visit to itsfate.net both men unknowingly end up dating the same woman, Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a beautiful blonde that works for Smart Consumer Inc., basically testing products all day.
Lauren has no idea she’s dating two guys that work together let alone best friends that are CIA agents. The competition is on between the best friends to see who will win Lauren’s heart. They both end up having back ground checks on her, agents following her every move, finding out her likes and dislikes, getting the first hand information about her right from her own lips since the men have both planted microphones and video cameras all over her home. So the guys have the upper hand on Lauren so to speak but Lauren has her own secret weapon as well, Trish (Chelsea Handler), a married mother with a mouth full of advice, some good, and some bad!
Lauren has been single for some time now. Well, mainly since her break up with Steve (Warren Christie) who she seems to bump into all over town with his new girlfriend. Mistakes make us who we are but did hers make her permanently single? Maybe not! One problem though is that she now likes two guys and not sure how to choose the right one. She starts to rank them by what they do to make her feel good about being with them. FDR takes her to local animal shelter acting like he’s been there many times before by saying hi to everyone there, not even using the right names. He even goes so far to adopt a dog, grant it twelve years old and near its demise. This way he figures he won’t have to keep it long! He even tries to show his artsy side by taking her to her favorite artist works, Klimt and “The Kiss”. So what is left for Tuck to prove he’s the man for Lauren? He takes her to a paint ball war to show his fun and manly side but practically kills everyone in the game, literally, that is until game over and Lauren paint balls him in the balls. One man with small hands and one man who’s British, thanks to Trish she really painted a private image for Lauren, making her decision even tougher.
Not to forget Heinrich is still in the picture and out to kill Tuck and FDR for killing his brother Jonas (Clint Carleton). Back from London with a vengeance Heinrich is now out to kill. Lauren is out to test the men by not being a gentleman. Womanizer FDR introduces Lauren to Nana (Rosemary Harris) and soon discovers he has titanic feelings for her especially after entering her premises. Tuck turns on his British invasion by using kid power to turn Lauren’s head. A wise woman once said, “Don’t choose the better guy rather choose the guy that makes you the better girl”. One issue though the guys have come together in a restaurant and some broken tables later have realized that things will never be the same especially since Lauren has now found out the truth. Some say the truth will set you free! Well, it sent Lauren along with Trish right into the arms of Heinrich and the men are now in hot pursuit. Working together to save the woman they love in the end has finally helped Lauren choose the one for her. But all hope is not lost for the other that is until he discovers who exactly slept with who!
Once again McG makes a high octane, fun, exciting and young feeling film that is sure to do well at the box office. Some of the action scenes I thought were a bit fast filmed looking as if they might have been trying too hard to make the guys really look good by hiding some mistakes within the cuts. Overall though the photography is nicely done to accompany a good screenplay and an appropriate score. Grant it the whole Heinrich scene is basically just a set up for the romantic comedy part of the script which of course is the main portion of the film but it all pulls together well to make a fun film for men and women. I could definitely sit through this one again and am sure to add it to my DVD collection.
Witherspoon is not only looking great but also does an outstanding performance as the single girl thrust into juggling two guys. Pine at first seemed a bit too much the pretty boy for this role but as it moves into the romantic comedy genre of the script he fits in well. Although he does show that he can truly kick some butt when he needs too. As for Hardy he definitely looks like he can kick butt which he does and with those full pouty lips and chiseled face along with a subtle sense of humor he proves he can play a leading man. I must say though that the scene stealer here is hands down Handler, absolutely hysterical and spot on with her words and actions in every moment of the film. Schweiger although not a huge roll but pertinent to the script easily does well playing the bad guy out for revenge. Overall, a must see film filled with a side of action, a full course of romance and a large delightful cup of comedy that makes this movie quite the delight to fill your appetite on opening weekend. Written and absolutely enjoyed by Jon Patch. By the way older dogs truly are great companions to adopt from your local animal shelter and not for the reasons behind FDR’s choices!
