Mr. & Mrs. Smith

I don't always think that I have the best taste in food or movies or pets, but there is nothing wrong with liking the occasional "bad" thing.  As such, I'm proud to admit that I really enjoy the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith.  It has quite a few good qualities, and I think there were outside factors that may have impacted others' views on the film.


It seemed that there was some backlash against Mr. & Mrs. Smith due to the hullabaloo that was the of Pitt and Aniston splitting.  Maybe I wasn't bothered by it, as it frankly doesn't concern me.  Mel Gibson may or may not be crazy, but that doesn't make me like his work any less.  I've never been a big Aniston fan, so there's that too.  Regardless, for some reason, a lot of people really like Aniston and seemed to demonize Jolie for her "part" in ending their marriage.  Seeing as how none of us were actually present, that's pretty presumptuous.


Now that we have that mess out of the way, let's actually talk about the movie.


What does Mr. & Mrs. Smith do right?

• Brad Pitt is more charismatic than any man has a right to be.  His character comes across as likeable and silly, even while dispatching random thugs.
• The relationship, both the strained parts and the happy ones, seems genuine.  It's easy to buy into the story when the characters and their interactions seem realistic, even when the plot is not.
• There are plenty of fun action pieces.  You get to see explosions, car chases, and fights.  They hit all the big action requirements, and they do it oh so well.  There was one scene where Jolie is backed by fire that looked a little odd, but otherwise, the effects are convincing.
• There are numerous little touches that make me laugh.  We're not talking about huge laughs accompanied by tears of joy.  I'm talking about the little stuff, like Pitt struggling with how to shut a van door.  The scene where Jolie interacts with a baby hit way too close to home, and that's why it worked.  In a movie that is so far out there, the characters still do the same little things we do, and that's pretty impressive.

If you haven't seen Mr. & Mrs. Smith, you should check it out.  Don't go in expecting a masterpiece.  The movie is a whole lot of fun to watch, but if you take it too seriously, you're not gonna like it.