'The Heat': A little of stars Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock goes a long way

'The Heat' milks the odd-couple film premise for all it's worth.

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Gemma La Mana/20th Century Fox/AP
Melissa McCarthy (r.) and Sandra Bullock (l.) star in 'The Heat.'

Sandra Bullock plays a very straitlaced FBI special agent and Melissa McCarthy is the slobbo Boston cop she reluctantly teams up with to bring down a drug lord in “The Heat,” a buddy-buddy action comedy that milks the odd-couple pairing until the cow runs dry. A little of McCarthy’s bullishness goes a long way – ditto Bullock’s pinched uncomfortability.

It’s not really such a great achievement to have women cops in the movies acting as boorish and rowdy as their male counterparts, especially since the movie seems designed for a sequel. But then again, what movie these days – or at least this summer – isn’t? Grade: C+ (Rated R for pervasive language, strong crude content and some violence.)

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