This Means War

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This Means War

PG-13

2012

1h 37m

Action

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

24%

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180 Reviews

56%

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50,000+ Ratings

CIA operatives FDR Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are inseparable best friends and partners. Together, their good looks, covert abilities and combat skills rank them among the CIA's elite, but their longstanding personal and professional bond is put to the test when they meet Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). FDR and Tuck both fall hard for the beautiful blonde, turning their deadly skills and an array of high-tech gadgetry against each other in an all-out battle for her love.

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Critics Consensus

A career lowlight for all three of its likable stars, This Means War is loud, clumsily edited, and neither romantic nor funny.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

Mar 19, 2012

2/5

Bathed in bright plastic colours, scored to sleazy jazz funk, This Means War comprises endless short scenes that never quite coalesce into a real motion picture.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Mar 17, 2012

1/4

McG directs as if on autopilot, and while the action scenes are technically proficient they're so lacking in energy and momentum you kind of wonder if the adrenaline junkie wunderkind threw them in as some sort of afterthought.

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Robbie Collin

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Mar 2, 2012

1/5

A film during which very bad things happen very often, and none of them are noticeably funnier than genital trauma brought on by an air rifle.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Feb 23, 2023

1.5/4

Undemanding in the worst ways, the movie’s director and writers have gone to considerable lengths to make this experience as effortless as possible, yet they make it so very difficult to endure.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

May 26, 2022

3/5

This Means War depends on audiences buying into a rather predictable premise of two CIA agents falling for the same woman.

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Oct 1, 2020

2.5/5

Be forgiving, and it will probably be enough.

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keven Q

@kevenquinlan 3 days ago

Well, the critics didn't get it- good- b/c this movie was Really fun to watch. Trigger Warning: The opening of the movie, which is used to set up the premise of the entire film= is Awful. I almost didn't continue watching. Horribly Edited Fight scenes, if you can tell what's going on- you're drunk. Once the love story unfolds- than the dialogue gets good and you start to warm to the characters. In the end, it's really enjoyable. One of the few times I am glad I finished a movie that started this poorly. I'm even going to keep this one for my collection, a fun Sunday morning movie.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 24, 2026

This Means War is a concept that's already been done thus my 2.5 star Movie rating!

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Sadie T

@RT35270213 Sep 17, 2026

This is the perfect romcom to bring a boyfriend or husband to watch. It has everything in it.

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Katy A

@RT15017224 May 19, 2026

This just showed up on Starz. I wasn't familiar with this movie, but love all the cast. It was exactly what I needed ....a silly but fun movie that made me laugh out loud several times. Today everything is so serious and stressful. Today I needed this exact movie to take my mind off serious and stressful. Thanks for this! Why would anyone think this needed to be critiqued as if it needed it. It's a comedy for Pete sakes! Zoolandder is another that you don't critique...you just sit back and enjoy the fun! And again Blades of Glory....maybe I just love fun movies with my favorite actors enjoying themselves too.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Jul 15, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 2, 2025

1 hour and 37 minutes of a failed movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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McG

Director

Reese Witherspoon

Lauren

Chris Pine

FDR Foster

Tom Hardy

Tuck

Til Schweiger

Heinrich

Angela Bassett

Collins

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Synopsis

CIA operatives FDR Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are inseparable best friends and partners. Together, their good looks, covert abilities and combat skills rank them among the CIA's elite, but their longstanding personal and professional bond is put to the test when they meet Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). FDR and Tuck both fall hard for the beautiful blonde, turning their deadly skills and an array of high-tech gadgetry against each other in an all-out battle for her love.

Director: McG
Producer: Robert Simonds, James Lassiter, Will Smith, Simon Kinberg
Screenwriter: Timothy Dowling, Simon Kinberg
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Overbrook Entertainment, Robert Simonds Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content/References|Language|Some Violence and Action)
Genre: Action, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 17, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $54.8M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Stereo

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