The Bounty Hunter

Wanted; an action comedy adventure, full of sex, adrenaline, repartee and starring two very attractive people. Unfortunately, after watching The Bounty Hunter, I’m still looking. The movie made a decent attempt at fitting the bill, but some of the notes were off. It was like listening to an orchestra and the brass section was playing over the violins, the balance just wasn’t right.

From the beginning I was questioning the chemistry between the two stars Gerard Butler (300) and Jennifer Aniston (Friends). They are both very funny people and sexy, too. But I didn’t believe their relationship until the very end. Banter between a husband and wife is a tough thing to pull off, especially after a divorce. Get too mean spirited and the audience will turn off, but if you don’t push enough buttons, the relationship feels false. It’s really a tough thing to do. Back in the 30’s Hollywood created the Thin Man series and the whole country fell in love with Nick and Nora Charles and their witty banter. Hollywood has been trying to do it again ever since.

There were elements of the film I did like, but I wanted them to go further. I liked the mystery and the solving a crime together part, but in the beginning I think Jennifer’s Nicole needed to be more manipulative. And I would have liked to to have seen Gerard’s Milo play it a little smarter. He was so quick to pick up his ex-wife’s bench warrant that he never questions why she was arrested in the first place. As an ex-cop, wouldn’t that have been his first call? Also, it took him awhile to realize the full danger of their situation. I would have expected him to be a little quicker on that. I also would have liked to have seen more sexual tension. Two bedroom scenes and no action is a big tease. If you are going to lead us on, do it with style.

Some of the supporting characters were fun but they were kept pretty much on the side lines. You could have taken out some of the characters entirely and the loss would have been barely felt. For example Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live) spent the entire film as a love-struck co-worker following Nicole around and trying to get in on her story. Besides providing a few laughs, his character was of little use. He just wasn’t that important to the plot. Christine Baranski as the mom is another example. Were her scenes really necessary? What was the purpose of her character and how did it add to the story line? What did she reveal about their relationship?

As a whole, this film didn’t work for me. I love the genre, and the actors in it, but it just didn’t have the snap and sizzle. If the action is so stretched out that it gives me too much time to think, then we’re in trouble. When Nicole was in the truck of Milo’s car I couldn’t help noticing that she wasn’t sweating. If the action is so slow that I pick up on things like that, it’s time to amp it up. What this film needs is more; more action, more wit, and more Gerard Butler in less towel. I’m sure the guys are saying the same about Jennifer.

Rating: Rent It Not enough snap and sizzle