Editorial
Front Page - Friday, April 9, 2010
The Critic's Corner
David Laprad
Why does Jennifer Aniston keep making movies like “The Bounty Hunter?” She’s better than the material. Not only is she easy on the eyes and, as far as I can tell from interviews, intelligent, she’s a talented actress with the chops to match Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman and Jodie Foster. I came to this opinion not only while watching “Friends,” but also while catching movies like “The Good Girl” (2002) and “Management” (2008).
Aniston has delivered solid work in other, lesser, films, including “The Break-Up” (2006) and “The Object of My Affection” (1998), but lately, it seems she’s more likely to appear in cinematic bow-wows like “Marley & Me,” “Love Happens” and the movie that’s the subject of this review.
Then there’s Gerard Butler, an actor who has the potential to be the Harrison Ford of his generation. In “300,” he showed he has the kind of charisma that can single-handedly pull an audience into a movie. Instead of starring in more modern classics, though, he’s filling his resume with rubbish like “Gamer,” “Law Abiding Citizen” and “The Bounty Hunter.” Imagine if Ford had starred in “Battle Beyond the Stars” and “Death Race 2000” instead of “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It’s that sad.
Now I can start ragging on “The Bounty Hunter,” because no one else involved with its creation appears to have any talent to waste. “The Bounty Hunter” is one of those films that probably began life as a quick pitch in a studio executive’s office and then ballooned into a two-hour film: “A bounty hunter learns his next target is his ex-wife, a reporter who skipped a court appearance in order to interview a source about a murder. He captures her; the killer catches wind of where they are; mayhem and hilarity ensues.”
There’d be nothing wrong with a light and breezy action comedy that followed the above template, as long as the dialogue was snappy, the actors were fun to watch and there were a lot of laughs along the way. However, none of that can be found in “The Bounty Hunter.” Instead, we get two skilled actors who have zero chemistry and are forced to appear in one agonizing and ham-fisted scene after another.
Aniston and Butler seem to know what they’ve gotten themselves into: They try too hard in some scenes, and in others, appear to be simply reciting their lines in an effort to get to the end of the movie as quickly as possible. I know how they felt.
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When my son was 11, I took him to see “Spy Kids 3D.” Before the movie started, he slipped on his flimsy red and blue-tinted spectacles, nudged the kid sitting next to him and said, “Wow! My hand is in 3D!” as he brought his right hand close to his face and then extended his arm.
Don’t judge him. He was 11.
After we’d slipped on our glasses to watch “How to Train Your Dragon” in 3D, I was relieved to see him put his hands in his lap. Then I noticed he looked bored, as though he was expecting the next two hours to be about as much fun as a dental exam.
When the credits rolled two hours later, though, we were both in a state of euphoric awe. The visuals in the film are breathtaking, especially the flight sequences. In one scene, the “camera” shows the audience the perspective of the hero as he’s flying on the back of a dragon; when the creature dove through clouds toward a churning sea, my hands gripped the arms of my seat.
The filmmakers probably put just as much work into the less showy scenes, animating each human character in a lifelike manner and giving everyone funny ticks. Likewise, they must have spent hours studying predatory cats to come up with the movements of the title dragon.
I enjoyed the story, too. Some of the movies Dreamworks Animation has released have wallowed in weirdness (I’m looking at you, “Monsters and Aliens”), but “Dragon” retells the comfortable story of the misunderstood hero who overcomes tremendous odds to change the world. The plot is simple and contrived, but also accessible and heartwarming.
While Pixar still rules when it comes to animated movies, Dreamworks is running a close second with films like “Dragon.” The movie doesn’t have the wit or humor of “Over the Hedge,” “Kung Fu Panda” or anything by Pixar, but it’s entertaining and technically impressive.
Not only that, it was good to see Butler back in form as the voice of the hero’s dad. Man, that guy has the kind of charisma that can just pull you into a movie!
Email David Laprad at dlaprad @hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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