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MR. AND MRS. SMITH
Unrated
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Adam Brody, Kerry Washington, Vince Vaughn
Director: Doug Liman
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Features: See Review
Length: 125 Minutes
Release Date: June 6, 2006
"You
still alive, baby?"
I
never really thought about it before, but I guess even if you make your living
as a professional assassin, you'd have pretty much the same problems we all
have. You'd still have the lawn to think
about, the car, the water filters, the curtains, and of course, the marriage.
It's probably not easy to work at keeping a marriage intact while always
contemplating the next neck you have to snap.
Just ask Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Though
it seems to venture into similar waters as films like Prizzi's Honor, True
Lies and War of the Roses, there's something kind of fresh and lively
about it. That's
owing mostly to its
main stars, the tabloid faves Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They exhibit so much
on-screen chemistry that if they're not involved in real life, they probably
should be.
And
credit also director Doug Liman, who turned out an energetic, witty and
adrenaline-pumping movie that exceeds his Bourne Identity for sheer
entertainment value. The man knows
how to direct action in a way that keeps us enraptured even when one or two bits
seem to defy every known law of physics. Or
in this case, anatomy.
Pitt
is John Smith, and Jolie is no Pocahontas as Jane. Both are
top secret hit men (or people, to be politically correct), and despite
years of wedded bliss, neither
knows what the other one REALLY does for a living.
As they sit in for marriage counseling, we learn in flashback form how
they first got together, and how theirs, like a lot of marriages, seemed to lose
steam over the years.
But
when both end up assigned to the same target, all hell breaks loose.
They are left with two choices: either
kill each other, or be hunted down by their own agencies.
As the veil of deceit lifts, Mr. and Mrs. Smith redefine the concept
of fighting to save a marriage.
This
is a hysterical comedy and and all out blazing action picture in one.
The teaming of Pitt and Jolie create the magic that everything else is
rooted in, be it laughter, suspense, violence or even a touching moment or two.
The comedy skips between being truly dark and awfully lighthearted, and
the banter between the Smiths is just about as quotable as any Spencer
Tracy/Katherine Hepburn picture you can recall.
Vince
Vaughn has a small role as John's close friend and comrade in the business, and
you'll laugh out loud every second he's on screen. As a hit man who still lives with his mother while offering
the beleaguered John his love advice, Vaughn proves once again that he's
Hollywood's most reliable comic sidekick.
The
laughs are terrific, but the action sequences are also first rate.
This picture boasts the best car chase scene I've witnessed since Bad
Boys II, and also incorporates the best use of an Air Supply song I've yet
seen in a movie. I may never be
able to listen to it again in the same way.
Liman also has a talent for waiting to
pull his camera back and give us the establishing shot that adds to the
fun. And it's hard to say what's more show stopping...when the
Smiths fight each other, or when they fight side by side.
There's really something for everyone here...for all viewers, there's the sharp comedy. For the gals, there's the romance and the hunky Pitt. For us guys, there's the blazing action and Jolie, looking more beautiful than ever before (I didn't think that was even possible; just one more way the movie defies known physical laws). It's sexy, exciting, rib-tickling and one of the year's most entertaining escapist offerings.
I
say bring on the sequel. How about Mr.
and Mrs. Smith II: Keeping Up With
the Joneses? I'd better wrap
this review up quick in case the head of productions at Fox decides to call...
Video
****
Fox
and action always deliver on DVD...they know how to put maximum movement on disc
with minimal compression. Mr.
and Mrs. Smith looks great, and I'm not just talking about the lead stars.
I'm talking about the overall clarity in dark and light scenes, the image
detail, and the liveliness of the colors. No
matter which way the bullets fly, everything renders superbly in this anamorphic
transfer.
Audio
****
Chose
Dolby Digital, choose DTS...just get ready to duck. Liman's action sequences are the bomb (sometimes literally)
for this explosive audio offering. Extremely dynamic and heavily reliant on all channels
including the floor shaking subwoofer signal, this DVD delivers all you would
expect and then some.
Features
***
There's
a decent commentary from director Doug Liman on
Summary:
