End of summer for movie studios usually means rolling out movies that may have been in the can for awhile…
Translation: Not necessarily their A-titles.
Take this week’s action-comedy HIT AND RUN, written, co-directed and starring Dax Shepard. You may know him from TV’s Punk’d and Parenthood.
Here he’s Charlie Bronson,get it? A former getaway driver for a gang of west coast bank robbers. He’s even testified against his former buddies and is living quietly with girlfriend Kristen Bell in the California hinterlands.
All’s well thanks to the Witness Protection Program.
Then honeybuns Bell gets the opportunity of a lifetime – the job offer of her dreams. Only problem is it’s in L.A. and she’s got to be there for a final interview within a very short time frame.
Now what?
Well, Shepard busts out of the program and drives her to the City of Angels. Bad idea because they’ve got his old gang, including once best friend Bradley Cooper, on their tail. Making matters worse, there’s bumbling witness protection marhsal Tom Arnold in the mix—for laughs, I guess.
Shades of SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, maybe?
Supporting the 96 minutes of B-action are Kristin Chenoweth, Beau Bridges and proud Tipton, Missouri export David Koechner.
VARIETY’s take on the flick probably stereotypes it but nevertheless sums it up best:
“The effort should connect well for middle-American audiences seeking characters and stories that approximate the thrill of crashing tailgate parties and NASCAR races.”
Ouch.
But honestly I couldn’t have said it any better as HIT AND RUN rambles on in search of an ending.
Two out of Five formula fingers from this middle American reviewer who doesn’t crave NASCAR.
Two fingers! But the tv ads say it’s funnier than Hangover AND Bridesmaid’s. WTF?
…funnier than “Hangover” and “Bridesmaids” must be the studio’s marketing department’s wet dream.
I was actually looking forward to seeing this, even though I HATED Bridesmaid’s. First Smiling Bob and Jimmy Johnson lie about making my penis bigger, then Cadillac lies about the 2011 CTS-V Coupe lap time around the Nurburgring and now this! Dealing with my mid life crisis if getting difficult.
Mid Life Crisis.
Those were the days.
What?!?!? They lied about the lap time?? Liars, the lot of them.
Seems like Bell can’t buy a decent movie to act in, damn shame.
Funnier than “Bridesmaids” isn’t much of an endorsement. That movie just might be the MOST overrated of the last 5 years. Oscar nominations, huge box office…I don’t get it as I thought it pretty much sucked.
Most of the reviews I’ve read on this film have been lukewarm at best. I’ll definitely pass on this at the theatre officially ending one of the worst summer movie seasons in recent memory…well, since last year anyway.