★★★☆☆

<Review by: Daylynn DeSouza>

Directed by David Palmer, Dax Shepard. Starring Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Rosenbaum.

Now I don’t like the romantic comedy genre much and that’s because I’m single and I would rather watch that video of the river dancing monkeys on You Tube than be reminded of my single-ness whilst being surrounded by couples in a theatre. So why did I choose to review Hit & Run?

First of all, I’ve seen a clip of Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell busting through a barn door in what has got to be the sweetest (and simultaneously hideous in a rugged sort of way) looking thing on four wheels I’ve seen.

Secondly, I heard the budget for the movie was just $2,000,000. Which is impressive when you consider that movie budgets usually run into the 8 or 9 digit numbers. (Eat, Pray, Snore had a budget of 60 Million Dollars; The Avengers was $220 million and The Dark Knight Rises was $250 million.)

Thirdly, I wanted to see Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard who are a couple in real life and now portray a couple on screen. Also, I heard there were lots of cars in the movie.

The story of the movie is a simple one. Charlie Bronson (Shepard), an ex-getaway driver in witness protection is living in a sleepy little town with a woman he’s hopelessly in love with, Annie (Bell). When Annie gets offered her dream job in LA Charlie choses to leave the safety of witness protection and move with her to LA, risking his own life. Unfortunately, Annie’s ex (Michael Rosenbaum) isn’t too happy about this and decides to let the guys Charlie testified against know Charlie’s whereabouts.

Car chases, emotional drama and comedic sequences ensue. Now, the reel of film I was treated to was probably spoiled and there were a few scenes that were edited out for Indian audiences but they involved a group of elderly people in what’s know as a ‘Lemon Party’ (Which from my understanding is a bunch of old people getting together to have an orgy). I should probably mention that this isn’t a movie you should take your kids to watch.

Bell and Shepard have brilliant chemistry on screen; it’s like watching a real couple (probably because they are). And, the rest of the cast is just amazing too; I loved seeing Tom Arnold in action again (He plays a bungling US Marshal who supplies the comic relief in the movie). It’s been a while since I’ve seen a film where I knew the majority of the cast from their prior work. I’m just amazed that the movie has so many good actors in it.

Hit and Run is a chick-flick that men will actually enjoy watching and an action movie that women will love. It’s a weird and absurd blend of action, romance and comedy. Cars, guns, violence, cussing, romance, comedy, tenderness and drama? I guess you can make a movie that both sexes will enjoy every once in a while. Definitely worth a watch.

 

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