Mr. & Mrs. Smith

November 28, 2005

Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 115 min Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Someone once told me, “Never underestimate the predictability of stupid people.” I took that advice to heart but, even still, I find myself hoping against hope that the “least common denominator” crowd that seemingly runs Hollywood will turn out a “summer blockbuster” action movie that ISN’T completely transparent and predictable.

It was, therefore, with only mild expectations that I ventured into the theater to view Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The premise of the movie is one that Hollywood has played around with a lot over the years, varying the details only slightly here and there (True Lies, Prizzi’s Honor, War of the Roses, etc). Given this historical knowledge and a trailer that gives WAY too much away (or seems to, but thats another rant**), I figured I knew *exactly* where this one was headed.

As it turns out, however, it wasn’t entirely predictable. Some of what happens is telegraphed and should be obvious to even the sub-room temperature IQ club, but they do manage to include a good swerve or two. So, for that, I am grateful.

For those who may have been working in a coal mine in Latvia for the past few months and haven’t seen the trailers for this flick, the story involves a hotter-than-hot couple that meet in Columbia, have a sizzing affair, and get married 6 weeks later. Both husband and wife are assassins working for competing organizations, but neither of them know that tidbit about the other. So, while each one lives a continually fabricated lie to the other, the marriage suffers. It suffers, that is, until the day their secrets become known to each other. The term “domestic violence” doesn’t do justice to what happens after that.

The other aspects of the movie, however, leave me little to complain about. The action is, as expected, top notch. The pace is always fast but the camera still manages to capture it cleanly so that you don’t get dizzy or confused about what you just saw. I will say, however, that the use of hand-cams in a couple of places was, at least to me, rather out of place and made for some disjointed feelings here and there.

The casting was perfect and the on-screen chemistry between Brad and Angelina was just this side of sizzling. Vince Vaughn steals pretty much all the scenes he’s in, as well. All three looked as if they were having an absolute blast during the filming and it shows through their comfort level with the roles.

Humor-wise, this was a MUCH funnier movie than I was expecting. I figured I’d be watching an action flick with the obligatory one-liners but there was much more humor than that. There are some genuinely very funny scenes that raise the movie’s category to that of a true Action-Comedy. In fact, one particular scene has Pitt, with almost a wink & a nod, acknowledge the action-scene one-liner cliche that Arnie made into a franchise so long ago. Yes, I was amused.

Pacing, however, was a bit off. The first half of the movie moves too slowly and treats us to lots of sessions with a marriage counselor. While the chemistry between the two leads is allowed to fully manifest itself in these scenes, you might find yourself stifling a yawn or two. This is not a huge complaint, but it should be noted for posterity.

In summary, this could have been a 5-star movie if not for the predictability and the slow beginning, but it’s still a very solid 4-star flick that would have to be seen on the big screen in order to be fully appreciated.

Posted by Alex | Filed Under 4 Stars, Action, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Comedy, DVD, PG-13, Vince Vaughn