Starring:
Brad Pitt as John Smith
Angelina Jolie as Jane Smith
Vince Vaughn as Eddie
Adam Brody as Benjamin Danz
Kerry Washington as Jasmine
Keith David as Father
Chris Weitz as Martin Coleman
Rachael Huntley as Suzy Coleman
Michelle Monaghan as Gwen
Stephanie March as Julie – Associate #1
Jennifer Morrison as Jade – Associate #2
Theresa Barrera as Janet – Associate #3
Perrey Reeves as Jessie – Associate #4
Melanie Tolbert as Jamie – Associate #5
Jerry T. Adams as Guard Bull
Special Features:
Commentary by: director Doug Liman and screenwriter Simon Kinberg
Commentary by: Film Editor Michael Tronick and more
Commentary by: producer Lucas Foster and producer Akiva Goldsman
3 deleted scenes
Making a scene
Trailers
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.35:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish and French Language
Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 120 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the official description of the DVD:
“After five (or six) years of vanilla-wedded bliss, ordinary suburbanites John and Jane Smith (Pitt and Jolie) are stuck in a rut the size of the Grand Canyonuntil the truth comes out! Unbeknownst to each other, they are both coolly lethal, highly paid assassins working for rival organizations. And when they discover they’re each other’s next target, their secret lives collide in a spicy, explosive mix of wicked comedy, pent-up passion, nonstop action and high-tech weaponry that gives an all-new meaning to “Till death do us part!””
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, intense action, sexual content and brief strong language.
The Movie:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is another one of those movies that I wanted to see in the theater but somehow missed. I was finally able to catch it on DVD and it was pretty much what I expected a decent popcorn flick. If you’re looking for anything more than humorous dialogue, spectacular action scenes, and beautiful actors, then you’re looking in the wrong place. The film is essentially True Lies meets War of the Roses. It combines an amusing battle of the sexes with a spy flick. The result is a fun but utterly predictable story.
A big reason this film is entertaining is the chemistry between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Admittedly, their recent tabloid romance hangs in the air above the entire film, but for the most part it’s easy to ignore it and appreciate their performances. Pitt is funny as the burnt out husband who is a bit forgetful, cocky, and occasionally caught at the short end of the stick. As he has proven in other films, he can handle the action well. Then again, Jolie has proven herself more than proficient in the action scenes, too. But her character also has conflicted emotions about her husband which makes her entertaining.
The movie has three acts. The first features the two living their separate lives as assassins. Both have spectacular action scenes that establish them as professional killers. The first act also establishes how they met and how they drifted apart. The second act has them coming to the realization that the other is a rival assassin. It leads to a tense face off and the inevitable knock down drag out fight (followed by the inevitable love scene). The third act features them on the run together trying to get away from rival assassins. Unfortunately, this is also where the film starts falling apart as our heroes are attacked by a variety of faceless thugs who can’t seem to shoot straight. The film ends with a very unsatisfying finale that doesn’t answer very many questions (such as who they worked for, how they got out of a shot up department store, and why they’re suddenly no longer wanted). That being said, though, the rest of the film is a fun ride.
The only member of the supporting cast worth speaking of is Vince Vaughn as Eddie. He really steals every scene he’s in as the wise cracking friend of Mr. Smith.
Who should see Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Anybody that enjoys spy flicks, comedies about marriage, or movies featuring the battle of the sexes. Fans of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Vince Vaughn should be pleased as well.
The Extras:
There aren’t quite as many bonus features as you might expect on this DVD. (I suspect some sort of “special edition” will appear some time in the future.) What you will find is a baffling THREE separate commentaries. One features director Doug Liman and screenwriter Simon Kinberg, another features film Editor Michael Tronick and other crew, and the last one features producers Lucas Foster and Akiva Goldsman. While they all have interesting things to say, it really could have been condensed into one commentary, especially since Jolie and Pitt aren’t included.
As for the other bonus features, the highlight is a set of three deleted scenes. One shows a lot more of Vince Vaughn and Brad Pitt talking after they realize Jolie is a rival assassin. Vaughn starts taking potshots at Mrs. Smith and starts wondering if she has his house wiretapped. It’s a fun scene. A second deleted scene features more of Pitt returning home with a neighbor as a human shield. You see him scope out the house with a pistol while the neighbor admires everything. The final deleted scene shows Jolie watching her co-workers ransack her house while trying to find clues about her husband. Jolie then finds Pitt’s secret room hidden in the shed.
The final bonus feature is a short video from the Fox Movie Channel entitled “Making A Scene”. It’s essentially a short version of the show from the Sundance Channel entitled “Anatomy of a Scene”. In it, they look at a key scene from the film and analyze the script, the acting, the effects, etc. In this movie they look at the scene where Pitt accidentally shoots Jolie’s car, then gets sent over an embankment inside it. The scene becomes particularly interesting when they reveal what all they ad libbed and how the original footage from the scene was destroyed by a lab error.
The Bottom Line:
If you can get past all the tabloid hype surrounding Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, then you’ll find they deliver a funny, action packed popcorn flick worth checking out.
