Overall Rating
  Awesome: 15.92%
Worth A Look: 46.5%
Average: 21.02%
Pretty Bad: 8.92%
Total Crap: 7.64%
13 reviews, 79 user ratings
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| Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) |
by Scott Weinberg
"A funny, frantic, and seriously slick way to kill two hours."
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It's official: Doug Liman is some sort of mad genius. After starting his career with the smoothly enjoyable indie flicks "Swingers" and "Go," the director moved on to helm the "wow, was that better than I expected!" spy thriller "The Bourne Identity." But the guy (reportedly) works in strange and offbeat ways, which is why he wasn't invited back to direct the sequel. And that's just fine, partially because another director (Paul Greengrass) did a slam-bang job on "Bourne Part 2" - but mainly because it gave Mr. Liman the opportunity to do "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," which is one of the slyest, slickest, and funniest action flicks I've seen a quite some time.Those who find themselves wondering precisely what "movie star mystique" is need look no further than Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The high-end action-comedy stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie -- and you don't get much more "movie star" than that. They're charming, they're gorgeous, they have that unclassifiable something that makes you want to watch their adventures ... and (fortunately) they're both darn fine actors. And when you're dealing with such a potentially outlandish concept like the one offered in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, you really need some solid actors to pull the thing off.
Based on a failed TV series of the same name, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is about a pair of married assassins, neither of whom know anything about their spouse's true identity. But when one particularly important assignment goes awry, John and Jane discover each other's secrets -- and promptly head out to assassinate one another.
Yes, it's true "high concept" all that way, and movies like this can go in one of two directions: classy, witty, and quick -- or lazy, obvious, and pedestrian. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is most definitely an example of the former, thanks mainly to the two leads' cracklin' chemistry and Mr. Liman's vibrant approach to the flick's manic action sequences. (And credit where it's due: xXx: State of the Union screenwriter Simon Kinberg is now out of the doghouse for his work here.)
With most of what passes for "popcorn action flicks' these days, you're asked to sit and twiddle your thumbs in between the gunfights and explosions, but Mr. & Mrs. Smith is as clever a comedy as it is an explosive action-fest. While Mr. & Mrs. Smith might be a little skimpy on the "plot stuff," the movie more than makes up for it with a resoundingly effective sense of humor. Pitt and Jolie are as loose and likable as they've ever been, and professional goofball Vince Vaughn was brought in to deliver an extended cameo that ends up very welcome and rather consistently hilarious.
But a bunch of witty repartee between two well-matched superstars won't amount to a hill of beans if their action movie doesn't curl your toes a few times -- and Mr. & Mrs. Smith does a fine job of keeping the bullets flying, the cars chasing, and the random large objects exploding. (The last hour of this movie is almost exhausting!) And because the film actually allows you to like these ruthless assassins, the mega-kinetic action sequences possess an extra layer of character-driven intensity.
It's pretty amazing what a few strong actors and a more-than-half-decent screenplay can do for an action flick.When I cock back and deliver a shot to the jaw of "Van Helsing," "xXx," or any one of a million other mindless action movies, I always get the same email: "Can't you just sit back and turn off your brain to enjoy a movie??" Well, frankly, I don't think any movie should require one to turn their brain off, but I understand the question. And movies like "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" are the answer. It's big and brazen and more than a little goofy -- but it's also effortlessly entertaining, exceedingly well-constructed and just a big generous plate of shiny summertime fun. (Plus -- Ms. Jolie has simply never looked sexier. On "mute" this flick would still earn 3 stars out of 5!)
 del.icio.us 
link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=12432&reviewer=128
originally posted: 06/10/05 17:31:17
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USA
10-Jun-2005 (PG-13)
DVD: 29-Nov-2005
UK
N/A
Australia
09-Jun-2005
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