This Means War - C

Rated PG-13, 98 minutes

I would like to take a moment to profess my love for the beautiful, wonderful Reese Witherspoon. Too bad my love fest won't spill over to her new romantic action spy film "This Means War," with Witherspoon, Tom Hardy ("Inception") and Chris Pine ("Star Trek"). A mildly amusing but shallow mix of spy action and romance, most of it falls flat, but thank goodness for comedian Chelsea Handler, who all but steals this movie from the three handsome leads. Hardy and Pine are CIA agents and best friends who end up falling for the same woman (Witherspoon). They decide not to tell her in order to let her choose the best man, and a game of heated exchanges, passion and words may not leave anyone standing. Aimless, unfunny and lacking any real sense of chemistry between the leads, "This Means War" is a muddled attempt at mixing action and romantic comedy. This isn't all Witherspoon's fault, she's quite lovely, the script is mishandled and misdirected by McG, who also mishandled the disappointing "Terminator Salvation." It's insipid as a spy thriller and save a few engaging scenes, largely unfunny as a romantic comedy; Pine is a decent comic actor though the rugged Brit Hardy is miscast and out of place. Most memorable of the cast is comedian and talk show host Handler, who easily walks off with the movie and its funnies lines. Witherspoon is a A-list star in need of a hit movie, but the disappointing "This Means War" isn't it.