Mr. and Mrs. Smith

You’d probably have to have lived underneath a boulder for the past six months not to know anything about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s new film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” We have been bombarded by previews for months, seen their faces on the covers of magazines, and even had to endure network news stories about their private lives. Finally, the film that started it all is out, so maybe some of the nonsense that has preceded it will die down.

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” are John and Jane Smith, ruthless assassins who met while “vacationing” in Columbia. Sparks fly at first encounter, the obligatory first night sex occurs, and soon enough they are married. The marriage, of course, appears normal on the outside, and we suppose appears normal to them, neither suspecting that the other is a killer working for separate bosses.

Fast forward “five or six years” and the couple is living in a lavish New York home, but both have become rather bored with each other, and their dinner conversations consist of fighting over who should pass the salt. Their cover is blown when both are sent by their employers to eliminate a target somewhere in the desert of the Southwest. They recognize each other, and then race home to plan how they are going to kill each other.

Naturally, they can’t just talk about, at least not with each other. They toy with their spouse’s emotions, and their own, trying to convince themselves that they never were in love to begin with, so killing their spouse now would simply be another job. After warning each other to just leave town and never come back (which of course they don’t do), they have an old-fashioned shoot out in their very own home, which may have been just what their marriage needed to regain it’s spark.

The first half of the movie is funny, and we can keep ourselves amused watching the chemistry of the stars. The film runs out of ammo after the big shootout in the house. After that, there are a few more action scenes that we could have done without, and more talking that really doesn’t help the story. For the last 45 minutes or so, I found myself wondering when it would finally end. Maybe I have been spoiled by other movies, but I generally expect the big action scenes to come at the end. I imagine though that more people will enjoy this film, than not, and will choose to ignore its flaws, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing either.

As for details about the film’s content …Judging from the previews, I was concerned that I would have a lot to write about, but it wasn’t nearly as offensive as I had anticipated. There is some occasional language (S-words, and a few others), and profane uses of the name Jesus. We know they have sex on the fist night they meet, but we basically see the before and after; then later we see them go at it before sex. We see Jane in some skimpy outfits throughout and donning S and M gear during one brief scene you’ve probably seen hinted at during previews. There are some sexual jokes and comments, and then some that sound like they are, but aren’t.

And, of course, there is violence; they are assassins. Car chases, punching, kicking, shootings, stabbings, and bomb blasts—all the usual material we’ve come to expect from this genre, but most of the scenes in this film are played for laughs.

The film film is aimed at older teens and adults, but parents should as always look into whether this film is appropriate for their children before sending them off to the theater.

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” was created mainly for us to see Pitt and Jolie interact with each other for about two hours. For me, it is a movie I could have done without.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/nudity: Moderate

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