Miss Bodyguard

The entire movie is very lazily written, and panders to those who aren't phased by the same movie being released four times a year.

Every scene in the movie feels like it's been done a million times before. Every time something happens, you already know what's going to go on for the next ten minutes.

This film tells the story of a uptight female police officer who is sent to escort a key witness and his wife to Texas to testify a powerful drug lord. Two sets of gunmen goes to kill the key witness, leaving the police officer and the wife running for safety.

I don't quite understand the poor reviews because I find "Hot Pursuit" very funny. Reese Witherspoon is so funny as a uptight policewoman who does everything by the book. The other female lead, Sofia Vergara is very beautiful and she is so convincing as a high maintenance wife. Together, they make the film super funny because they have this mystifying relationship of friend versus foe. They don't want each other's company and yet need each other to survive. There are so many laugh out loud moments throughout the film, and I think "Hot Pursuit" is a very entertaining film for a brain off relaxing evening.

I saw some brief videos on Instagram of this movie on some movie pages I follow. It looked really good and comical. 30 minutes into watching it I turned it off. Nothing about this movie was funny or practical. The "police work" was so bad an unrealistic. Nothing about this movie was funny. All the actors and actresses did nothing but annoy me. How anyone could rate this higher than 3 is beyond me.

Glad I rented this, instead of seeing it at a theater. I'm shocked Reese Witherspoon agreed to this film. A very poor, silly comedy. I did however, see a glimpse of good acting ability in Sofia, when she showed her evil, serious side. I believe she could portray a great criminal, but that glimpse was simply that, a 20-30 second glimpse. I must admit, my wife was laughing and giggling throughout the movie at some of the more female oriented jokes. She seemed to enjoy it much more than I did. I was shaking my head almost the entire film. There was just too much slap stick to suit me. If you are a Sofia fan, you need to rent this. I don't think they could have showed much more of her body than they did without going to a higher rating. She is nice to look at but that screaming she does gets a bit irritating after a while. The film was only around an hour and thirty minutes long, I don't think I could have lasted much longer.

There's something quite improbable about Hot Pursuit. Its leads simply don't add up. Aren't the days of patently broad comedy behind Reese Witherspoon, especially after her stunning, Oscar-nominated turn in Wild? And why would anybody even think to pair her in a crime caper with the remarkably sexy Sofia Vergara, whose thick Colombian accent is as much a delight as it is an ongoing plot point on TV's Modern Family? Whatever the case may be, the final result is a generally charming, if occasionally tired, buddy comedy that benefits from the charisma and unexpected chemistry of its co-stars.

Police officer Cooper (Witherspoon) is finding it hard to measure up to her legendary dad - rather than busting criminals on the streets, she's stuck bagging evidence in the basement. But everything changes for the earnest, awkward cop when she's assigned to the protective detail of Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), the apparently flighty and spoiled wife of a drug lord who's about to rat on his boss. When Daniella becomes a widow in a shootout that goes very badly indeed, the two women must go on the run - with cops and criminals in hot pursuit.

Strictly speaking, Hot Pursuit isn't a particularly good film. Its plot is mostly predictable: there's never any doubt that these two diametrically opposite women will bond despite their differences and, as a result, triumph over all the adversities and adversaries (including each other) they encounter on the road. There's nothing at all highbrow about the humour on display here, which ranges from the slapstick (Cooper and Daniella struggle to get out of a bathroom window) to the infantile (the pair desperately try to distract an angry man pointing a rifle at them). It's funny, sure, but it isn't always smart about it.

And yet, there's something about the film that's hard to resist. For all of its plot-related flaws, Hot Pursuit benefits from two lead characters who are sharply drawn and imbued with a richness that's frankly surprising in throwaway comedies of this sort. At least initially, both women appear to fit their stereotypes: Cooper is the quintessential if rather awkward girl-next-door, and Daniella a flighty, materialistic sexpot. But the film gives them the opportunity to get out of these boxes, as Cooper regains confidence in herself and Daniella demonstrates just how resourceful she can be.

The interplay between the duo is also delightful: fireworks fly and silliness abounds whenever Cooper tries to stick to the rules and regulations, which have clearly never bothered Daniella a day in her life. As the duo insult each other with merry abandon, an odd friendship springs up between them - and it works very well indeed, whether they're commandeering vehicles or posing as a woodland creature (yes, really).

This is due in no small part to the combined charm and chemistry of both Witherspoon and Vergara. They won't strike anybody as the most likely of cinematic pairings, but there's a goofy amiability to their relationship both on screen and off (as evidenced by the bloopers that accompany the credits). Flinging their dignity to the winds, both actresses play their occasionally undercooked roles with so much zest and joy that it's great fun just to watch them in action. Witherspoon, in particular, is so winning in her wholehearted embracing of the film's zany comedy that it's to be hoped she doesn't just stick to sombre Oscar-worthy dramas in future.

It's easy to expect the worst of Hot Pursuit - it looks like a by-the-numbers movie that its co-stars were under pain of death (or contractual obligation) to complete, an effort that they would rather forget before getting on with their careers. But looks can be deceiving: a message reinforced by the script's surprisingly warm and appealing treatment of its main characters. Forgive the film some of its unfunny business, and hang on for an unexpectedly enjoyable ride.