The Bounty Hunter is a strange entity. It's a mediocre romantic action comedy that relies on the charms of its lead cast to keep the audience interested. Yet at its onset the film saddles said stars (Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler) with two wholly unlikeable characters, challenging viewers to remain vested in continued viewing.
Butler here abandons his 300-ish, Beowulf-y history and embraces the type of All-American tool he essayed in last year's The Ugly Truth. His Milo Boyd is a crass bounty hunter who talks loudly out of the corner of his mouth. His career has gone down the crapper (he used to be a New York City cop), and so has his marriage to Aniston's nosy journalist Nicole.
Jennifer Aniston And Gerard Butler Hate Each Other With Love
Nicole isn't very pleasant to be around either. She allows her career to get in the way of just about everything, and happily blows off her lawyer at a court date for assaulting a police officer. When a hot tip regarding a sketchy "suicide" lands in her lap, she flakes out on the justice system and runs off after her informant (Adam Rose). Now an official bail-jumper, the long arm of the law reaches out to ensnare her.
Conveniently, Nicole's bitter ex-husband Milo receives the contract to capture his enemy and escort her to jail. His misogynistic glee and ensuing boorish behavior (like dropping her toothbrush in a toilet) would be reprehensible were it not for the sense that Nicole sort of deserves what's coming to her. What then follows is merely a by-the-book mash-up of Midnight Run and The War of the Roses.
The Bounty Hunter's Most Elusive Quarry Is Laughter
In typical action comedy fashion, a number of weakly written subplots threaten the protagonists around every bend. Milo's gambling addiction has generated an eleven-thousand dollar debt to a local bookie, who promptly sends out the goon squad to collect. Meanwhile, Nicole's lead turns up the heat on her informant, who is subsequently captured and tortured by a creepy tattoo artist (Peter Greene).
Nicole also has a stalker co-worker (Jason Sudeikis) who trails her throughout the movie, often falling prey to the machinations of the resulting comedy of errors. The remainder of the film is a string of relatively unfunny adventures in which the bickering leads waffle over their mutual hatred and attraction. If it wears thin on the audience, it also annoys the populace of the film - especially the kindly owners of a romantic bed and breakfast (Carol Kane and Adam LeFevre) who ban the couple from ever returning.
The Cast Members Of The Bounty Hunter Are Acquitted
Director Andy Tennant (Hitch, Ever After) is an old hand at this type of film, so at times it feels as if he's slapping it all together in his sleep. There's nothing very fresh or remarkable about The Bounty Hunter, from the stale script by Sarah Thorp to the heavy handed score by George Fenton. The only thing that (barely) keeps this movie afloat is its talented cast.
Christine Baranski (as Nicole's wacky mother), Jeff Garlin (as Milo's boss Sid) and Siobhan Fallon (as a bail bonds company owner) each add flair to their surroundings. It's also nice to see Peter Greene again, even if he's typecast in the same kind of slimy creep role he mastered in the '90s. Ultimately, none of this matters because the chemistry between Aniston and Butler works. When they ham it up, an otherwise intolerable ride becomes a passable if unoriginal experience. Grade: C-
- The Bounty Hunter (2010)
- Directed by Andy Tennant
- Written by Sarah Thorp
- Starring Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston, Jeff Garlin, Peter Greene
- Released by Columbia Pictures
- Running time: 110 minutes
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