Hitch DVD Review:

Hitch: Meet Cute, Not Funny

Hollywood has long known that throwing a male megastar in a romantic comedy is a proven formula, even if it is a fairly generic vehicle. Tom Cruise did “Jerry Maguire,” Tom Hanks “Sleepless in Seattle,” and Denzel Washington “The Preacher’s Wife,” albeit in an unconventional role. Conspicuously missing from the genre has been $100 million box office club member Will Smith, who despite singing many songs on the matter of love has limited his cinematic exposure to action and drama. Perhaps he feared losing his last vestige of street cred, or maybe he’s seen “The Preacher’s Wife.” Whatever the case, he is a holdout no longer, headlining the only mildly generic box office smash “Hitch.”

I was quite excited when “Hitch” was first announced. No, not in that way, but because I loved Smith’s hysterical performance in the “Bad Boys” films and thought it was high time he exploited his potential in a full-fledged comedy. The lukewarm trailers dampened my enthusiasm somewhat, but the word of mouth was very strong for a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, “Hitch” leans much heavier on the romance than the comedy, so Smith isn’t really allowed to shine. I give the film credit for creating interesting characters for Smith and costar Eva Mendes, whose eccentric behavior largely steers free of the usual clichés. The dialogue is strong, and there’s a decent chuckle here and there. However, that dusty old romantic comedy formula eventually shudders to life, and the action loses a lot of steam. That hoariest chestnut that all romantic comedy relationships must contain some sort of heated conflict is employed in a very unconvincing manner, as the highly intelligent characters suddenly engage in inexplicably moronic behavior. Still, when you put it all together the film is above average for the genre.

Hitch (Smith) is a date doctor who counsels hapless men on how to win the affection of the objects of their desire. He himself is a committed bachelor who likes to keep a safe distance, having been hurt badly long ago. His latest client is Albert (Kevin James), a clumsy tax consultant who is infatuated with one of his clients, the beautiful and wealthy socialite Allegra (Amber Valletta). With Hitch’s coaching, Albert makes an impression on her by defiantly standing up for her interests in front of his boss. Elsewhere Sara (Mendes) is a workaholic celebrity gossip columnist whose job makes her skeptical of the whole romance business. Hitch happens across Sara at the bar they both frequent, and succeeds in piquing her interest. He turns down potential client Vance because he reveals himself to be a sleazeball only interested in a quick fix. Unbeknownst to Hitch, Vance has his eyes set on Sara’s best friend Casey (Julie Ann Emery). Hitch manages to cajole Sara into a jet skiing date, full of silly missteps like kicking her into the water, which Sara somehow finds endearing. Both Hitch and Albert’s relationships progress slowly but surely until Sara starts to become suspicious of Hitch’s connection with Albert and Vance, and then things quickly get complicated.

“Hitch” is a film that has a lot to say about love, but delivers mixed messages. The bulk focuses on the dating advice passed out by Hitch, which apparently was inspired mostly by women’s magazines. Things such as 8 out of 10 women make a final judgment on a man based on the first kiss, or that the key to a woman’s heart is her best friend. Mostly stuff you’ve heard somewhere before, but Hitch weaves it all together into a convincing strategy. However, although his carefully planned approach is demonstrated to be very effective, later on the film backtracks to suggest you can do just as well being a total screw-up. I guess this change of heart is intended to give hope to us ordinary schleps that don’t have millionaire film stars to call on for pointers, but it’s rather patronizing.

Smith rarely breaks free of his usual effortlessly charismatic persona, and doesn’t here, but fortunately it’s right on target for the character. He has a couple of nice comic moments, but the film tends to keep him on a tight leash. Mendes is as lovely as ever, and does a great job of playfully switching between guarded and vulnerable as she tries to size up Smith. James is endearing as the hapless Albert, adding a touch of heart to his typical TV goofiness. However, since he’s stuck playing cute rather than wacky, the comic material mostly falls flat. Especially the heavily promoted trailer clip in which he shows off his awkward white guy dance moves for Hitch. Since no actual joke develops here, one can only assume that director Andy Tennant is somehow unaware of what a crushingly tedious cliché he’s pushing.

Despite it’s generally cute tone, the film does slip in a few laughs. Perhaps best is the college flashback in which Hitch appears in glaringly 80s Fresh Prince garb, doing somewhat of an Urkel impression. There’s a nice if predictable scene where Hitch tries to teach a very uncomfortable Albert how to kiss using himself as a proxy. Smith pokes fun at his own vanity when a food allergy on a date causes Hitch’s face to swell up like a balloon, and he dashes into a drugstore to franticly chug Benadryl.

The special features will probably only entertain diehard fans of the film or Smith. The gag reel is laugh free, and I was unable to take more than a few seconds of Amerie’s “1 Thing” music video. The featurettes provide a lot of info about things you probably don’t care much about: the making of that tedious dance scene, the locations used in New York, the clothing worn by the characters, and Smith’s attempt to set a Guinness record for attending film premieres around the UK. Slightly more interesting is the look at the reasoning behind the love lessons laid out in the film, with insight from various psychologists and magazine editors. Most entertaining are the deleted scenes, which show Hitch blowing off his old girlfriend and Sara literally getting caught with her pants down as a tour boat passes. To answer your next question, the film’s rating is only for language. Otherwise it’d earn an extra star easy.

Smith’s female fans should eat “Hitch” up, although the Mendes crowd would do better with “Stuck on You.” The film should entertain those that enjoy a hint of sophistication in their romantic comedies. It’s regrettable so much comedic potential went untapped, but “Hitch” makes for a harmless enough two hours. Plus I learned that women really like it when you make a total buffoon of yourself on the dance floor, so it’s nice to know they were all just laughing with me.



Chris Wood

For men who have problems forming a relationship with a woman in New York, they now have hope in the shape of Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens (Smith), a self proclaimed ‘Date Doctor’. With insights into the female form that most men could only dream, Hitch has helped many find the girl of their dreams but with all his knowledge of the opposite sex his own love life isn’t as buoyant as his client’s.

Will Smith takes a break from epic blockbusters and returns to his comedy roots but can he remember what it is like to do a romantic comedy?

The Fresh Prince has grown up since ending his hit TV series in 1996. Gaining Oscar nominations, winning numerous awards and starring in some huge box office smashes, Will Smith has become one of the biggest and most commercial stars working in Hollywood today. Every film he is now involved in is a huge, commercial endeavour and ‘Hitch’ is no different but it isn’t his usual action, SFX filled affair.

As Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens, Smith is a ‘Date Doctor’, a man who knows the ins and outs of woman and shows men how they should act to woo the woman they adore. The role takes him back to his comedic roots and reminds us what a range the actor has. He is one of those people you cannot help but like, meaning that his character is easy to connect and emphasis with. It is a role that Smith excels in and the film is better than it should have been for it.

Playing the female lead is an up and coming actress that is as talented as she is beautiful. Eva Mendes has made a name for herself playing strong female roles but she has a gift for romantic comedies. As Sara, she is a career driven journalist who doesn’t have time for a man in her life until Alex tries to sweep her off her feet. This is a role that Eva Mendes can excel in, as she is not just the natural beauty that she is but also a woman that is intelligent and independent, making her a strong female character.

The supporting cast is also good. Kevin James moves onto the big screen with ease to play Albert, the lowly accountant that has fallen for a beautiful heiress, who is way out of his league, or so he thinks. With the help of Hitch, his true colours get the chance to emerge and he might actually have the chance of been noticed. James grabs the role with both hands making Albert instantly likeable and extremely easy to get behind. He brings hope to all the geeky but nice men out there who just want to be noticed.

Amber Valletta is Allegra Cole, the object of Albert’s affections and a high society heiress who is constantly hounded by the paparazzi. She is a woman who lives her life through the media but no one really knows who she is until she meets Albert. The role could have been so easy to play as bitchy and self centred but Valletta makes her appealing and not repulsive, making you understand why Albert likes her.

While ‘Hitch’ might not bring anything new to the genre, the premise and the cast make it an excellent date movie. Will Smith and Eva Mendes excel, even though the story becomes extremely sugar coated during the finale, the movie has enough for both sexes to enjoy and it brings a little bit of hope to all those single men who long to be noticed.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, the movie is presented very well.

BONUS FEATURES

Gag Reel (3.49 mins)

Watch Will Smith and the rest of the cast make a complete hash of their lines.

Deleted Scenes (13.44 mins)

Entitled ‘Hitch meets Cressida’, ‘I could use a bathroom’ and ‘Film opening with George Fenton score’, these deleted or extended scenes are accompanied by intros from director Andy Tennant.

Featurettes

Dance steps made easy (8.18 mins)

Director Andy Tennant and stars Will Smith and Kevin James take you behind the scenes of dance scene between Hitch and Albert. Here we see Kevin James’ hilarious improv dance moves with names like ‘slow thriller’ and his own take on the ‘Moonwalk’.

I Love New York (6.50 mins)

Director Andy Tennant, executive producer Michael Tadross, producer James Lassiter and stars Will Smith, Amber Valletta, Kevin James and Eva Mendes take you behind the scenes of the New York locations used in the movie. Here we see Downtown, Ellis Island, Sky Studios, Battery Park and Fulton Fish Market.

Hitch Style (6.33 mins)

Director Andy Tennant, costumes designer Marlene Stewart and stars Will Smith, Kevin James and Amber Valletta take a look at the clothes worn in ‘Hitch’. The group talk about creating a look for each of the characters and how Will Smith had a hand in Hitch’s 1980s look.

The Dating Experts (11.22 mins)

Director Andy Tennant and star Will Smith are joined by dating expects and life coaches to talk about the basic principles of dating. The group discuss body language, communication, what women are looking for, best friends approval and the all important first kiss.

Will Smith’s Carpet Race (3.53 mins)

On February 22nd 2005, Will Smith attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the most public appearances in 12 hours by a film star. This is how he got on.

Music Video by Amerie ‘1 Thing’ (3.58 mins)

Watch the promotional music video for Amerie’s song that featured in the movie.

Trailers
Previews of ‘Are we there yet?’, ‘Man of the House’, ‘Spanglish, ‘Little Black Book’ and ‘Bewitched’.

OVERALL

Sony has done a decent job with the DVD transfer of ‘Hitch’. The featurette are informative and fun, the deleted scenes could have easily been added into the film but the director explains their removal and the gag reel is very funny. The only minus point is the lack of a commentary track. Fans of the movie will be pleased however and for those who missed it at the cinema, ‘Hitch’ is a really good rental choice.



Jamie Kelwick