Rated
R (Pervasive Language including Sexual References, Graphic Nudity, Some Violence
and Drug Content)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 40 Minutes
Cast-
Kristen
Bell-Annie Bean
Dax
Shepard-Charlie Bronson
Bradley
Cooper-Alex Dimitri
Tom
Arnold-Randy Anderson
Michael
Rosenbaum-Gil Rathbinn
Jess
Rowland-Sheriff Terry Rathbinn
Carly
Hatter-Sheriff Angela
Beau
Bridges-Clint Perkins
Kristin
Chenoweth-Debbie Kreeger
Joy
Bryant-Neve Tatum
Sean
Hayes-Professor Sandy Osterman
Directed
by Dax Shepard and David Palmer
 |
| Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard) and Annie Bean (Kristen Bell) find themselves on the run from some crazy criminals in the late-summer comedy "Hit & Run." |
In
comparison to last year, summer 2012 has not exactly been kind to the R-rated
comedy, with Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Dictator" underperforming at
the domestic box office with $59.7 million (although it remains a modest success
when including its $108 million foreign gross) while "That's My Boy"
and "The Watch" both flopped, earning a mere $36.9 and $33.1 million
respectively. Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" has been the only success story,
racking up an impressive $352 million worldwide and receiving positive reviews with a solid 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis' political satire "The Campaign"
also looks to be on track for a $100 million gross, although barely. With every
major release already playing in theaters or about to be released on Blu-Ray
and DVD, we've now entered the last two weeks of August where Hollywood dumps whatever
films they have left (usually with low box office prospects) in order to earn a
quick buck before gearing up for the fall season with all their possible awards
contenders. The last R-rated comedy to arrive is "Hit & Run,"
starring Kristen Bell and her fiancé Dax Shepard, who also co-directed, co-produced,
and co-wrote the film. Shepard (cue obligatory Mass Effect reference) currently stars on NBC's comedy/drama
"Parenthood" as Crosby Braverman but has had a number of supporting
roles in film such as 2005's "Employee of the Month" and 2008's
"Baby Mama." This is also not
his first time as director, helming last year's mockumentary "Brother's
Justice," which had an incredibly limited release and received reviews so
negative that it now has a score of 0%
on Rotten Tomatoes. Fortunately "Hit & Run" is a lot better compared to Shepard's previous
effort as the chemistry between him and Bell benefits from their real-life
relationship but this uneven action comedy fails to drum up any excitement or
laughs despite the flashy cars and some amusing moments.
Charlie Bronson (Dax
Shepard) lives in the rural backwater town of Milton, California with his
loving girlfriend Annie Bean (Kristen Bell), a professor who teaches conflict
resolution at the local community college run by a Xanax-addicted dean named
Debbie Kreeger (Kristin Chenoweth). However, the name 'Charlie Bronson' is
actually a false identity he was forced to adopt when he entered the Witness
Protection Program four years ago for testifying against his best friend Alex
Dimitri (Bradley Cooper) in the wake of a failed bank robbery. Annie is unaware
of her boyfriend's shady past and believes him to be only a 'witness' to the
crime. When Debbie tells Annie that she has been offered a job at the
University of California related to her field, Charlie is less than enthused
about the news as going back to Los Angeles would mean running into his former
criminal buddies at the risk of his own life. His love for Annie eventually convinces
Charlie to come out of hiding and he agrees to make the 500 mile drive by
breaking out his souped-up 1967 Lincoln Continental from the shed. Gil Rathbinn
(Michael Rosenbaum), Annie's possessive ex-boyfriend, discovers Charlie's real
identity by memorizing his license plate and alerts Alex of his return to Los
Angeles, leading to a wild chase across the Californian desert that also involves
a bumbling U.S. Marshall named Randy Anderson (Tom Arnold) and a pair of incompetent
sheriffs, Gil's brother Terry (Jess Rowland) and his partner Angela (Carly
Hatter).
"Hit & Run" may not be a great or even good action comedy but it's a harmless
film that largely succeeds on the appeal of Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard.
Apparently, it only took ten weeks to write the script and shoot the film, with
much of the cast deferring their salaries. Such efficiency is admirable and
it's immediately clear that Shepard was very passionate about the project considering
the many hats he wore during the production. The actors also have a lot of fun
on the set as well, especially Bell, who sports a big smile whenever the camera
pans to her during the car chases. Although primarily marketed as a comedy, the
problem with "Hit & Run" is that it just isn't very funny. Sure,
there are some chuckle-worthy moments such as when Tom Arnold's Randy, a U.S.
Marshall assigned to protect Charlie, forgets to fully put his vehicle in park,
which starts rolling on its own toward a group of children playing by their
house. Randy runs after the van and attempts to shoot out the tires but misses,
hitting the neighbor's window instead. However, after the umpteenth time where
Randy's gun accidentally discharges, you have to wonder if he's just clumsy or
plain stupid. Shepard packs his script with a number of quirky secondary characters
to garner some easy laughs but they're only tangentially related to the story.
Gil is reduced to chasing Charlie around and behaving as obnoxious as possible
despite being the catalyst that sets the plot in motion. Sheriffs Terry and
Angela have a few amusing scenes that revolve around an app called 'Pouncer,'
which allows gay men to hook up, similar to a real-life app called 'Grindr.'
There is also an outrageous moment where Annie and Charlie stumble upon a
real-life 'Lemon Party,' which is not even remotely funny and will even leave
some viewers disgusted. The car chases tries to emulate the action comedies of
the 1970's but while there are plenty of vehicles on display, the driving
stunts fail to drum up any excitement due to the pedestrian way it's edited
together. The boring desert backdrop does not help matters either, leading to a
feeling of sameness to every chase. What really saves "Hit & Run"
from being a total disaster is the sweet chemistry between Annie and Charlie,
which owes much to the fact that these two are actually a real-life couple and
allows their interactions to come off as genuine. The opening scene has Charlie
reassuring his girlfriend that the only moment she needs to worry about is now
and that he will be with her for the rest of his life, prompting what seem to
be real tears from Bell. That spark between them is the sole reason that
"Hit & Run" manages to be somewhat enjoyable.
The cast certainly
enjoyed themselves but the performances are a mixed bag with the only
exceptions being Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard. Despite his scruffy, unkempt
appearance, Shepard's Charlie has a charming puppy dog loyalty that makes him
instantly likable. Sharing a cute rapport with Bell's Annie, the fact that she
and Shepard are a couple both on-screen and off inadvertently breaks the forth
wall, offering a peek into their personal lives. Tom Arnold is Randy, the
accidental-prone U.S. Marshall assigned to protect Charlie but while his antics
initially elicited a few chuckles, I later found them to be repetitive and
uninspired. Sporting yellow shades and a ridiculous mane of dreadlocks, Bradley
Cooper just looks way too much like a cartoon to come off as menacing. Michael
Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor on the long-running television series "Smallville,"
is convincing as Annie's annoying ex-boyfriend Gil though the script never
knows what to do with him. Jess Rowland and Carly Hatter make for a fun duo as
two sheriffs caught up in a situation beyond their control but like Gil, they
are given little to do. Kristin Chenoweth, David Koechner, Sean Hayes and Jason
Bateman also have cameo roles, along with Beau Bridges literally delivering a
knockout punch as Charlie's estranged father.
"Hit & Run" was
released on August 22, 2012 and has received mixed reviews with 47% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'it's jokes miss as often as they hit but even at
its least compelling, [the film] provides harmless late-night viewing for
old-fashioned action comedy enthusiasts.' The $2 million production only
managed to secure a wide release thanks to distributor Open Road Films,
co-owned by theater chains AMC and Regal, which explains why it began screening
as far back as May. Unfortunately, it debuted to a pitiful $625,000 this past
Wednesday and is expected to earn as little as $3 to $4 million in its first
five days of release. Audience reaction at the screening on Tuesday was rather
muted, although there were a few scattered laughs. The only competition is from
"Premium Rush" and "The Apparition," with the latter being
dumped into a mere 810 theaters but all three prospects look terrible given
their release dates, with Shepard's film likely landing in the bottom ten. "Hit
& Run" is by no means a terrible flick thanks to the presence of Kristen
Bell and Dax Shepard but outside of a few amusing moments, there's nothing here
that's particularly compelling or worth paying to see.
Final
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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