Friday, June 4, 2010

Killers, , a Review of an Easy on the Eyes Romantic Comedy

Killers:  Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Poster | A Constantly Racing Mind
Heigl is Funny as She Lights Up the Screen with Killers

A simple light hearted romantic-comedy with some action for the weekend. Romantic comedies are not my thing; however, there are a few films that that catch my attention, and Killers is one of them. Starring Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, "Killers" has great supporting cast with Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara. In the case of the "Killers," what makes the film cute and watchable is Heigl herself.


Jen (Katherine Heigl), sometimes, Jennifer, mostly just Jen is going on vacation with her overprotective mom (Catherine O'Hara) and dad (Tom Selleck). On the plane, we get to know the Kornfeldts a bit. Mother Kornfeldt is your typically funny speak-your-mind type of mom, which O'Hara plays well. On the other hand, Jen's father, played by the still handsome Tom Selleck (perfect moustache) is the overprotective, highly proactive, and paranoid stereotype of a father figure. Within the first few minutes, the viewer gets the clue that Jen's boyfriend dumped her and she came along with mom and dad to forget her troubles. Their vacation destination is Nice, France. Meanwhile along the winding coast of the Mediterranean en route to Nice, Spencer the Spy (Ashton Kutcher), is on his way to his last job as an operative. Meeting at a hotel elevator, Spencer and Jen have that awkward moment and the cuteness starts, as Jen and Spencer set up their first date. After making the dinner arraignments, Spencer is off to blow up a helicopter on board a yacht anchored in the bay. Jen is off to look through her dresses, all packed in Space-Bags, and not finding a thing to wear, she buys a dress for the night and hopes to return it later. We are never told who the good guys and bad guys are in this film, and it doesn't really matter, Spencer completes his mission, and Jen has found her man. Spencer properly asks Jen's dad for her hand in marriage, and at the skeet range, after the dashing Magnum PI star shoots a few clay pigeons hoping to intimidate the groom to be, Selleck agrees to the marriage. Putting his spying ways aside, Spencer settles down for three years to peaceful lives in a small suburban community.


Killers:  Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl | A Constantly Racing Mind


Being called back to active service by his former employer, Spencer refuses, however, his old boss warns him that refusing is a mistake. After Spencer's birthday party, the couple find out that their happy lives and their friends are not who they thought them to be. Fist of all, their beer drinking, couch-farting, porn addictive friend and coworker of Spencer's, Henry (Rob Riggle), try to slice up Spencer after receiving a call that activates him. One by one, Jen and Spencer's friends turn on them popping out of their next-door neighbor roles like "agents" popping up in the Matrix. Not knowing whom to trust, the two quickly look to each other for support. As her world starts to unravel and the action hits the screen, Heigl as Jen does a reasonable impression of a women coping with the situation, as ridiculous as it seems. Going along with mystery, Heigl's acting is more fluid than Kutcher's, whereas he seems stiff at times. Heigl and Kutcher were fun to see together, and the best difference between this film and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is in Heigl's character, Jen. More loving and innocent, than Jolie's character, the fun is watching as she gets used to the situation, and get into the part. Selleck and O'Hara are fun to watch as the alcoholic mom and the always play-it-safe father. Selleck is the perfect choice for the gun-toting best-not-hurt-my-daughter type of dad.



Not original by any standards, the story doesn't plod, thanks to director Luketic, he keeps the films pacing quick and even. Be warned, "Killers" is not about the mystery as to whom is after the couple, if anything it is the most predictable portion of the whole film. If the main characters didn't have a joke or gag going on, the action scenes kept the audience awake. Musically the film is unimpressive, the main theme unmemorable, and with just enough to help the pacing. The screen time between Kutcher and Heigl seems to favor Kutcher while the audience wanted more Heigl's fluidness and charm; while the rest of the supporting cast of friends and neighbors turned Killers do their small parts with none of them, excepting Riggle standing out. With a few explosions, several car chases, lots of gun battles, a few kisses, and one F-bomb, the Killers make for a pleasant date night movie. Rated PG-13, "Killers" is not heavy on violence and not deep on the romance either; however, the comedic pacing made this film fly.

Movie Data
Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance, Thriller 
Year:  2010
Staring: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Rob Riggle
Director: Robert Luketic
Producer(s):Scott Aversano, Jason Goldberg, Mike Karz, Ashton Kutcher
Writer: Bob DeRosa, Ted Griffin
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 100 minutes
Release Date: 6/4/2010

Originally posted on Associated Content on 6/7/2010

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