Film: The Bounty Hunter
Director: Andy Tennant
Writer: Sarah Thorp
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Christine Baranski and Jason Sudeikis
Rating: Half a star
There is a minor character in the Bounty Hunter called Stewart (Jason Sudeikis). He plays the buffoon who believes that he has a chance with Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) because she kissed him once at an office party. He is kidnapped, tortured, his leg is broken and a horse tranquiliser is administered to him. You might laugh at him, but in reality, he, with all his predicaments might just be representing you, the audience.
The Bounty Hunter marketing itself as ‘the battle of the exes’, might think of the tagline as an intelligent pun on ‘the battle of the sexes’. But the film, just like the pun, falls flat.
The film could as well have been written on one’s palm. It is that basic. Nicole is a news reporter and her ex-husband Milo (Gerard Butler) a police officer, who later becomes a bounty hunter, collecting pay-checks for tracking people who skip bail. So when Milo is given an assignment to track Nicole for skipping out on bail, he is overjoyed at the prospect of humiliating his ex-wife. The action in the film involves Nicole who is chasing a story that involves corrupt policemen, and some goons chasing Milo for some money he owes them.
There is constant bickering, as the couple drive all over New Jersey. There are umpteen variations of “I can’t believe I was ever married to you” at regular intervals. However, funnily enough, they decide at some point that they do love each other.”
It’s one of those films that studios keep churning out year after year, trying to ride the ‘romcom bubble’. There is simply nothing worth watching in this unfunny and predictable film. The lead actors don’t sizzle. (And one would have thought Jeniffer Aniston handcuffed to a bed frame would do the trick.) Aniston is passable, and she has her charm to fall back on. But Gerard Butler looks like a boor, a bear just awoken from his slumber, bullying everyone, even his ex-wife. Needless to say there is no charm to fall back upon.
The only thing you can laugh at while watching this film, is the film itself.
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