The beginning of the film has John (Brad Pitt, FIGHT CLUB) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie, GIRL, INTERUPTED) in couple’s therapy. They seem to be resigned to the fact that their marriage is boring. John wants Jane to be more spontaneous while Jane wants John to take more than a nonchalant attitude toward their home life. What they don’t know is that both are leading secret lives as top-notched assassins working for opposite agencies.
But it all comes to a head when they are assigned the same target and they discover their secrets. This sets up an all-out, cat-and-mouse war. John’s associate Eddie (Vince Vaughn WEDDING CRASHERS) is the paranoid type who thinks that Jane has been setting him up for six years. Jane’s right-hand woman Jasmine (Kerry Washington, RAY) doesn’t have a much better opinion of John.
The film has its witty moments about the secrets a married couple keeps between each other, but it sort of abandons this toward the end. The premise seemed to have the opportunity to be THE WAR OF THE ROSES meets James Bond, but it never goes that dark. It’s disappointing, but it doesn’t ruin the enjoyment of the film as it is.
Pitt and Jolie have real chemistry on the screen and make the best of the material they are given. Vaughn is wonderful as always in the supporting role. Doug Liman, who composed some of the best natural looking action sequences in THE BOURNE IDENTITY, goes a bit over-the-top with this film. However the action still contains an over-exuberant fun that never undermines the story. The action’s over-the-top nature is funny and entertaining — it just undercuts the bite of the satire.
In the end, the film is popcorn fun with great stars having a blast. I wish it would have gone in a more challenging direction, but as it stands it still is good popcorn entertainment.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
