Tom Hardy’s critically panned rom-com,This Means War, is actually way better than it gets credit for, despite its Rotten Tomatoes score.Since making his film debut in Ridley Scott’sBlack Hawk Downin 2001, Hardy has made a name for himself as a leading man. However, while renowned for his versatility,Tom Hardy’s moviestend to occupy certain genres.
Rising to fame through action roles in blockbusters likeMad Max: Fury Road,The Dark Knight Rises, andVenom,Hardy has become synonymous with difficult roles in high-octane movies. Yet, the actor has also demonstrated his flair in more dramatic films, asTom Hardy’s crime moviescan attest. That being said, Hardy has only ever done one romantic comedy.
This Means War Was Tom Hardy’s Foray Into Rom-Coms With A Twist
The 2012 Tom Hardy Movie Was Actually An Action Film
Directed by McG,This Means Warwas Tom Hardy’s first ever romantic comedy, and it was released in 2012. However, the rom-com actually has a twist becauseThis Means Waralso features a spy plot, withbest friends and CIA agents Franklin “FDR” Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck Hansen (Tom Hardy) discovering that they’re dating the same woman (Reese Witherspoon).
This Means Waractually has a lot of elements that would feature in aTom Hardy action movie. In fact, the film even begins with FDR and Tuck trying to prevent an international criminal from acquiring a weapon of mass destruction. However,This Means Warquickly segues into a romantic plot, with the spy story acting as a side story.
ConsideringTom Hardy’s action movie andVenomfranchise legacy, it is rather strange to see the actor in a romantic comedy, especially asThis Means Warwas released just months beforeThe Dark Knight Rises. As such, the rom-com movie tends to get overshadowed by Hardy’s other more successful films, even thoughThis Means Waris actually quite fun.
Reviews Were Negative But This Means War Is Actually A Ton Of Fun
Reviewers Take The Light-Hearted Movie Too Seriously
This Means Warwas negatively received by critics and audiences alike, although it did fairly well at the box office. Grossing $156.5 million on a $65 million budget, the film was somewhat of a commercial success, with many praising Pine, Witherspoon, and Hardy’s performances as the three main leads. Unfortunately, itsRotten Tomatoesscore let the movie down.
25%
56%
The general critic’s consensus on the review aggregator site states,“A career lowlight for all three of its likable stars,This Means War is loud, clumsily edited, and neither romantic nor funny.” Many critics believe that the movie was adisappointing romantic comedy which wasted its cast, who have all appeared in considerably higher-rated films both before and after.
the 2012 rom-com is actually quite entertaining, and the leads are very charismatic in their roles
However,This Means Waractually deserves a bit more credit as anunderrated action-driven romantic comedy. Although the film does suffer from forced humor, the 2012 rom-com is actually quite entertaining, and the leads are very charismatic in their roles. Therefore,This Means Warshould be viewed for what it is: a light-hearted, rewatchable movie, perfect for a casual viewer.
Unfortunately, Tom Hardy Was Miserable While Making This Means War
Making This Means War Swore Hardy Off Rom-Coms
Despite the film’s light-hearted premise,Tom Hardy was reportedly miserable makingThis Means War. In an interview in 2014, Hardy said that while “I love to do things I hadn’t done before,” when it came to makingThis Means War,“I didn’t understand how you could do something which is so much fun and be so miserable doing it.”
“I probably won’t do a romantic comedy again.”
According to Hardy, he felt “other” on the set ofThis Means War, which led to him proclaiming that, “I probably won’t do a romantic comedy again.” This is understandable consideringthe actor has much more experience in other genres, and obviously feels comfortable there as a result of personal preference- especially consideringTom Hardy’s favorite movie isPlatoon.
Will Smith was actually a producer forThis Means War.
This Means Waralso showed why Tom Hardy is the wrong actor for James Bond. Compared to Pine’s charming FDR, Hardy’s Tuck doesn’t exude a James Bond spy charisma, and his quips often fall flat. Therefore, this demonstrated that,while the actor shines in edgier roles, Hardy struggles to deliver light-hearted roles, like inThis Means War,cementing his typecasting.
This Means War Found New Life On Streaming
Tom Hardy’s Rom-Com Was Popular On Max
With such a low score on Rotten Tomatoes, and as a fairly forgettable movie among Tom Hardy’s other, more enchanting blockbuster films, it is therefore surprising thatThis Means Warwas a streaming success on HBO Max. Debuting on the streaming service on July 20, 2025,This Means Warranked among the top 10 most-streamed movies on Max by mid-May.
It’s not the only film that has received this treatment, as typically critically panned films have also seen more success once released on streaming sites. With regard toThis Means War’sconsiderably low Rotten Tomatoes score, its popularity on streaming is unprecedented. However, it does make sense, asstreaming sites invite more casual viewers who would enjoy the light-hearted film.
Therefore, although the movie originally fared poorly in 2012,This Means Wardeserves a bit more credit than it was given. The film is certainly not a standout in Hardy’s career - especially as the actor himself was miserable during production - butThis Means Warstill proves itself as an entertaining film, and its leads deliver some fantastic performances.
