Lady cops kick ass, and come dangerously close to wearing out their welcome, in The Heat. Sandra Bullock stars as an uptight FBI agent who's Starsky & Hutch'd to a rambunctious Boston police detective played by Melissa McCarthy. The odd couple clash, repeatedly, over procedure while attempting to take down a mysterious drug lord in a barely cognizant plot. Director Paul Feig helmed McCarthy's break-out role in Bridesmaids, but here spends too much of Heat's bloated runtime on the actor's nonstop, aggravating stubbornness. Thankfully, McCarthy pushes past all that to find some nice beats in the sisterly bond she strikes up with Bullock. Likewise, her stuffy FBI agent becomes much more entertaining when Bullock finally loosens up—a third act leg injury proves Bullock has as much talent for obstinate physical comedy as her on screen partner. The Heat is more of a slow simmer, but it eventually gets up to temp.
