Talk about a bad night, on my way to the theater a flash monsoon/thunderstorm hit, instead of turning around and going back home like I had some sense, I braved the 20 minute storm and got soaked to the bone just to see “”Mr. and Mrs. Smith,”” a film that I had little hope for. I was pleasantly surprised by what I got. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sizzle on screen as a bored married couple of 5 or 6 years who discover that they are assassins working for opposite “”organizations”” in the incredibly A-moral, dumb, but fun action flick.
The film opens weirdly, but on a surprisingly fun note where we see Jane Smith (Jolie) and her husband John (Pitt) at a psychiatrist’s office going through couple’s counseling. They talk about how they meet, but they can’t agree on how long they’ve been married, so they say 5 or 6 years. Both of them seem self involved, and not really into the relationship; when they first meet, the chemistry of the two simply pop off the screen in a steamy dance sequence that almost puts Travolta and Thurman’s spin in “”Pulp Fiction”” to shame.For a summer action blockbuster it was surprising in how little action there was in the first hour of this, which was focused on showcasing the couple’s deteriorating relationship. There comes a time in every marriage, usually at the 5 or 6 year mark when you want to kill your spouse. Luckily for these two they are trained to do just that and are given the excuse to do so when they each are sent on an assignment to kill the same mark [Played by “”The O.C.’s”” Adam Brody, which amounts to nothing more than a glorified and unnecessary cameo]. When the hit goes bad, they discover each other’s secret and are ordered by their bosses to kill the other within 48 hours or else. Vince Vaughan is along for the ride to provide some unnecessary comic relief as Pitt’s associate and best buddy. “”Mr. and Mrs. Smith”” falls apart once they get to the assassination part of the story. None of the hits are explained, so you never get a since of if what they are doing is right or wrong. They talk about their mysterious agencies, so one would assume they both work for secret government organizations, but it makes little sense, because while they each supposedly work for some mysterious agency, the film portrays them as being independents on one hand and beholden to mysterious bosses on the other. The action sequences in the last hour are all by the numbers affairs, but the banter and chemistry between the two make them work. There is an incredibly cool fight sequence where the two just go to town in a no holding back barroom brawl style fisticuffs. Jolie got some skills!I’ve never been a big fan of Pitt and Jolie but after seeing “”Mr. and Mrs. Smith”” I’m now a believer, they command the screen with their presence and star power. Ignore the gaping plot holes and enjoy this for what it is – an over the top relationship action movie. Final Grade – BEM Reviewby Michelle AlexandriaOriginally Posted 06/10/05