Hitch

For this year’s “Valentine’s Day” movie review, I thought I would look at another romantic comedy, “Hitch,” released in 2005, another movie I saw On Demand.

This is a nice, if a little long, romantic comedy from two men who have made so much of their career in the genre. Director Andy Tennant is well-known for love stores, previously working on “Fools Rush In,” “Ever After,” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” Even though Will Smith did become successful as an action hero and a dramatic protagonist, he is at his most likable in this type of movie, when he makes his fans laugh and gets the girl.

James Berardinelli said in his review, “Hitch in underpinned by a simple premise, which makes it a surprise that the running time comes close to two hours. The length is the film's lone noticeable problem - snip about 20 minutes off of it, and it would have been a breezy pleasure. (So much for the unwritten rule that no movie can sustain comic momentum for more than 90 minutes…) But the expectation of third act romantic complications causes Kevin Bisch's screenplay to bog down during its final 40 minutes, and even the appeal and chemistry of the actors can't prevent Hitch from losing some of its load.”

Alex Hitchens, played by Will Smith, is a self-called “date doctor.” His job is to help those in the dating game to stop making mistakes so they can find true love. He focuses on common mistakes, like “meet cutes,” and gives dancing and kissing lessons. Hitch has the common motto of “those who can’t, teach.” His own love life is negated. The knowledge he leaves with is based on looking, not experience. Hitch once fell in love, and the pain from that experience has kept him from trying it again – until now. He falls for gossip columnist Sara, played by Eva Mendes, who gets Hitch’s attention from their first meeting. A series of horrible dates does nothing to discourage the two from finding out that they might have found their “special someone.”

Meanwhile, Hitch has a new client – Albert (Kevin James), an obese accountant who wants to impress the love his life, celebrity Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta). Hitch does what looks like the impossible – teaching Albert how to get Allegra to notice him. However, that’s the easy part. The hard part is convincing Albert to really relax himself so that Allegra won’t leave unhappy on a date with a silly man who doesn’t have self-confidence.

If you think you can predict where “Hitch” is going, you’re probably right. Berardinelli said, “Like most romantic comedies, this one is light on surprises, with predictability being considered an asset by many aficionados.” However, “Hitch” has something many movies in the genre don’t: a sense of humor. There are times when this movie is hilarious. If you look at Hitch and Sara’s first date, when a badly placed leg move makes them both fall into the Hudson River. Then there’s another get-together, where they find out a food allergy which ends with a rush through CVS to find Benadril.

Despite having a lot of chemistry between Smith and Eva Mendes, and Kevin James and Amber Valleta to know there is a legitimate romance, the strongest duo is Smith and James, whose mentor/student relationship results in so man of the film’s best moments. Berardinelli said, “The buddy moments offer a nice counterbalance to the potentially saccharine romantic interludes, avoiding the "all hearts and flowers" trap that occasionally causes seizures by male members of the audience who show up to impress a date.”

Hitch was 2005’s only real contender for a Valentine’s Day movie watch. (Berardinelli said, “I will ignore the existence of the dismal The Wedding Date - hopefully movie-goers will follow suit.”) Not only does this follow the expected course of really falling in love and hitting the feels, but it really makes viewers laugh. Even though a little trimming of the runtime would have been better, Smith keeps the happenings from becoming a bore.

When I saw the trailer to this movie, I knew it was going to be hilarious. I wasn’t wrong when I saw this movie On Demand. I didn’t have any problems with the movie when I saw it, especially the runtime, so I think for this Valentine’s Day; you can watch this and get a good laugh, especially if you are a fan of any of the lead actors.

Check in tomorrow when I review my yearly “President’s Day Movie.”