Mrs. and Mrs. Smith 2.5 stars Starring: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vince Vaughn Directed by: Doug Liman Rated: PG-13 ---------
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a typical summer blockbuster, but you've probably only heard of it because of its two superstar leads.
The film starts off slow with scenes of the married couple, John and Jane Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) in therapy. The Smiths' real jobs as assassins are revealed as is how they hide their professions from each other.
Refreshingly, the action picks up as things go awry when the spouses cross paths during an assignment; they are both trying to kill the same person and then, unknowingly, each other. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, predictably, end up working together.
While unique, Smith has the expected components of a high-budget action flick: big-name stars, special effects, and minimal story. Pitt and Jolie do have some chemistry on screen, but it doesn't carry the film. They shoot bullets at each other interspersed with comedic one-liners. Jolie is the funnier of the two, but Vince Vaughn -- playing Eddie, a friend of Pitt's character -- garners most of the laughs in the movie without even being in many scenes.
The effects and action are mundane yet plentiful. Two scenes run entirely too long: one where the spouses battle each other within their home with numerous weapons and some hand-to-hand combat, and the final scene where the couple challenges an army of assassins attacking with everything from handguns to rocket launchers. On the other hand, there are some excellent car chases and a good twist in the formulaic plot. Unlike most action movies -- all good versus evil -- the "villain" is not truly introduced until right before the last scene.
Perhaps, someone has tried too hard to get Smith its PG-13 rating. The kills could be more violent, and the one love scene between Pitt and Jolie seems over-edited. Nevertheless, many people will enjoy this movie: there is relationship humor for the ladies, explosions for the guys, and human eye-candy for everyone.
