DVD: Hitch
There is a formula to be followed in romantic comedies, and Hitch doesn't stray far from the norm. That's not to say it's a bad movie, but it's certainly nothing groundbreaking.
Will Smith plays the too-smooth Alex Hitchens, a bachelor and the mythical "date doctor". He works by referral only, so as not to blow his cover. So the men of the city who know a woman and admire from afar pass his credentials around, and good ol' Hitch helps them out. Enter Albert (Kevin James), the bumbling financial advisor with a giant crush on the rich and famous Allegra Cole (Amber Valetta). To make things interesting, Hitch develops his own crush on gossip columnist Sara (Eva Mendes).
The plot is pretty bare bones, but better than your average romantic comedy. It's the progression of the plot that will remind you of other movies in the genre. But really, we're not watching this one for plot. This movie is about the chemistry between Will Smith and Kevin James, and that chemistry is excellent. They play very well off of each other, and the movie really has its best moments when the two of them are on the screen together. Both of them make scenes and plotlines that we've seen before seem fresh. James is in (if I hear correctly) his last season of The King of Queens, and here's hoping his movie roles keep increasing. He is hilarious in pretty much every scene he's a part of in the film. Will Smith is always entertaining, and no less so in Hitch. He plays his uber-cool persona very well as the title character, and he's believable as a guy who helps men get the women of their dreams.
There is a little character development, and we only really get the backstory of Hitch. One element of the movie that plays to its disadvantage, however, is the performances of the lead actresses. We know that Albert is in love with Allegra (not the medicine), but she comes across a little cold (get it?), and not very endearing most of the time. Of course, part of that in my opinion can be attributed to the somewhat lackluster performance of Amber Valetta. Eva Mendes doesn't really do us any favors as Sara, either. One wonders if the filmmakers didn't want strong female performances to overshadow Smith and James.
Its problems aside, I can confidently recommend this film. Comedy is more difficult than people give comedians credit for, and this movie delivers more often than not. If you enjoy Kevin James and Will Smith in past performances, you'll enjoy them here. James is one of those rare comedians that does excellent stand-up comedy but also has acting chops. I think we'll see a lot more of him in the coming years.
Final Score: 3.5 cents
Will Smith plays the too-smooth Alex Hitchens, a bachelor and the mythical "date doctor". He works by referral only, so as not to blow his cover. So the men of the city who know a woman and admire from afar pass his credentials around, and good ol' Hitch helps them out. Enter Albert (Kevin James), the bumbling financial advisor with a giant crush on the rich and famous Allegra Cole (Amber Valetta). To make things interesting, Hitch develops his own crush on gossip columnist Sara (Eva Mendes).
The plot is pretty bare bones, but better than your average romantic comedy. It's the progression of the plot that will remind you of other movies in the genre. But really, we're not watching this one for plot. This movie is about the chemistry between Will Smith and Kevin James, and that chemistry is excellent. They play very well off of each other, and the movie really has its best moments when the two of them are on the screen together. Both of them make scenes and plotlines that we've seen before seem fresh. James is in (if I hear correctly) his last season of The King of Queens, and here's hoping his movie roles keep increasing. He is hilarious in pretty much every scene he's a part of in the film. Will Smith is always entertaining, and no less so in Hitch. He plays his uber-cool persona very well as the title character, and he's believable as a guy who helps men get the women of their dreams.
There is a little character development, and we only really get the backstory of Hitch. One element of the movie that plays to its disadvantage, however, is the performances of the lead actresses. We know that Albert is in love with Allegra (not the medicine), but she comes across a little cold (get it?), and not very endearing most of the time. Of course, part of that in my opinion can be attributed to the somewhat lackluster performance of Amber Valetta. Eva Mendes doesn't really do us any favors as Sara, either. One wonders if the filmmakers didn't want strong female performances to overshadow Smith and James.
Its problems aside, I can confidently recommend this film. Comedy is more difficult than people give comedians credit for, and this movie delivers more often than not. If you enjoy Kevin James and Will Smith in past performances, you'll enjoy them here. James is one of those rare comedians that does excellent stand-up comedy but also has acting chops. I think we'll see a lot more of him in the coming years.
Final Score: 3.5 cents
Tha Docta's two cents. | 11:02 AM
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