Last weekend, I entered the cinema where I watched Hitch with much trepidation because I'm not a great fan of date movies in general. Somehow, my friend managed to coerce me into watching it, insisting that it'll be worth my time and money. That was quite a feat as I can be such a stubborn mule at times... Sure enough, Hitch IS a date movie, but it isn't as bad as I had imagined it would be... though it isn't THAT good either. Director Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama, Anna & The King) kept the laughs coming along at a steady pace but it was mostly the charismatic presence of Will Smith that the movie depended on. It doesn't take a genius to break down the predictable plot to its formula; Smith is love guru (or more formally, date consultant) Alex Hitch, who gives nerdy geeks (or other equivalents who are inept with women) advice and strategies on how to attract members of the fairer sex. Along the way, he meets gossip columnist Sara (Eva Mendes), falls in love and overcomes cynicism to live happily ever after.
Mendes may look droolsome on the cinema screen but she hasn't got the sheer magnetism of, let's say, Jennifer Lopez or Salma Hayek. Moreover, I think that her chemistry with Smith is more lukewarm than sizzling. Cameron-Diaz-lookalike, Amber Valleta, playing a millionaire heiress, is equally just as dull. Too bad they didn't hire Ms Diaz herself for that part. Thank god there's the wonderfully comical, Kevin James (who headlines sitcom The King of Queens) as a fat geeky accountant who, along with Smith, are the saving graces of this movie.
During the last third of the film, Hitch decided to swerve into maudlin there's-a-lesson-to-be-learnt-here territory, which was a tad too cliched for my liking. However, the film does have a slick soundtrack and there are hardly any crude/stupid jokes, so it's adequately enjoyable to watch with your partner-in-crime.
my ratings ---- 2.8/5 stars~!!!
