Think of “The Heat” as the female version of “The Other Guys”. Kick it up a notch by casting Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy (hilarious in “Bridesmaids”), spice with action and snappy jokes then sit back and laugh your ass off. I did and I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m tempted to call it my guilty pleasure of the summer, but then again why would I feel guilty? McCarthy scored with “Bridesmaids”, “This is 40” and “Identity Thief”. In “The Heat”, she’s flying on comic helium. Ok the balloon loses altitude from time to time, but the woman is truly a comic riot. She plays a street cop who finds herself forced to work on a case with FBI agent Bullock (who plays the “straight man” here, but she does a fine job as well). Be damned if I know how much it all makes sense but I think it would be foolish to take the film seriously or look for plot holes in logic. Don’t let that stand in the way of having a good time at the movies. And though the laughs are hit-and-miss, “The Heat” lucks out in director Paul Feig (also “Bridesmaids”), who has the gift of letting scenes play out just long enough to be both hilarious and memorable. His movie doesn’t reinvent the wheel, by any means, but it’s a lot of fun to watch and that’s a particular compliment at this point in the movie season.

Rating: 2.5/4