Tuck (Hardy) & FDR Foster (Pine) are top CIA agents, wasting bad guys in Hong Kong one minute (really a poorly concealed set) and then are benched, as they have a killer on their tail (Schweiger), seeking revenge for his dead brother.

Whilst spinning their wheels, your tax dollars at work, their thoughts turn to love. We have two opposites, Foster is a womanizer with an apartment with swimming pool ceiling and beauties drifting past. Tuck meanwhile is hungry for real love, following his estrangement from his wife and young son.

Unaware that they have both met and started dating Lauren (Witherspoon), the best buddies once confronted with this dilemma, decide to let the best man win.

We should then be treated to a comedy romance with slick action sequences, as the pair decide to use all CIA resources at their disposal, to spy on and interrupt each others plans.

Unfortunately the comedy is leaden, there is minimal chemistry between the leads and the action sequences are poor. Tom Hardy does his best but this really is a sinking ship taking down all passengers down, irrespective of class.

Both male characters are either more in love with themselves or each other rather than the token love interest, which makes for a very strange threesome.

The lengths and resources used to track each others movements leave the station marked “preposterous”, several stops ago. A drone to follow the couple out driving, which is shot down by a hand gun?

Casing the apartment for likes and dislikes, dressed in combat gear, as Lauren dances with a tub of popcorn and headphones is not funny. It’s just plain creepy.

Of course many disposable characters die in firefights but this is fine, as one of the leads always stays behind to “clean up”, the story makes “True Lies” look like a documentary

Characterization is non existent, glib comments from the boys are as deep as it gets and Witherspoon has nothing to do whatsoever. The only slight glimmer of interest derives from Lauren’s BFF Trish (Handler), who at least is given some reasonable lines she delivers well but it’s not enough to rescue the whole enterprise.

Chris Pine, Tom Hardy and Reese Witherspoon all good actors, unfortunately hit what must be a career low in this film.

The film is directed by McG which may be enough to steer many regular cinema goers away, if this is not enough I would add that this is a poor film which squanders it’s resources and talents.

There may have been a light hearted romcom in the script somewhere and with a deft Directors hand it could have worked. This however is not that film.

Summary

A very poor, almost incompetent comedy/romance caper, one can only hope that any sequel plans are immediately terminated with extreme prejudice.

Not recommended