A decent 2000s romcom with some mixed messages about dating and relationships.
The leads are all good: Kevin James, Eva Mendes, and especially Will Smith as smooth and charming “love doctor” Alex Hitchens. The love story between Smith and Mendes is breezy and likable, with the common theme of two career people learning to open up and be vulnerable with each other. Kevin James’ slapstick comedy goes over-the-top and the movie doesn’t need it, but it’s fine.
The movie is…
This film goes hard.
Stylistically, it has much in common with Gibson's previous film Passion of the Christ: relentless, bloody, dialogue in reconstructed approximations of ancient languages. The depiction of slavery, pillaging, and human sacrifice among the ancient Maya is visceral, harrowing, and brutal. Yes, it flattens the Maya into a capital Evil Empire; a nuanced and accurate portrayal, this is not. But especially in its final act, it accelerates into a gleeful B-movie chase flick that's appealing for its stark, elemental simplicity: good guy, bad guys, jungle. In the end, we root for our resourceful, superhumanly resilient hero as he resolves to start anew.
Just dreadful.
This film fails on so many levels: as a drama, as a musical, as a character study. The music is atrocious: flat, tuneless, and sung (or growl-grumbled) with zero conviction. Based on the premise, I was expecting a little camp, a little pizzazz. Something over-the-top and provocative (even if wrongheaded). What I was not expecting was a dour, dull slog through scene after scene of leaden melodrama. I frequently paused to ask myself, "What is the tension in…
I have a real soft spot for this one. And yes, it's mostly because of the game. I cannot watch this movie without ticking off the game levels in my head: Dam... Facility... Runway... Statue Park... Archives, etc. But besides that, it's a goofy, fun burst of campy action.
About the only thing I don't like is the muddy, discordant 90s-techno score by Eric Serra. I see what they were going for: trying to modernize Bond's sound as well as…
