The Bounty Hunter

Just got back from the theater--walked in the door and turned on the computer--and am in agony! I was really excited about this movie and looking forward to seeing it ever since the previews came out. But, boy!, was I disappointed. All of the cute stuff (and pretty much the only cute stuff) was contained in those previews.

There is nothing original, and nothing funny enough or well-acted enough to make its unoriginality interesting. Jennifer Aniston did a decent job, given what she had to work with (though she does act like she does in most of her other movies). But the writing wasn't good, and the plot was weak and all over the place. Most everything you see, you've seen before--just done better somewhere else--and all of it combined into something very hodgepodge. It's like the storywriters just took a "pinch of this" and a "dash of that" from various comedies, romances, and action adventures, and tried to make a soup out of them.

The music was so bad I'm even giving it its own paragraph. I had no idea the music would make such a difference, normally I don't notice it's even there. Not so on this one! It was often agonizingly out of place, where you had to wonder what the score writers were thinking, or why they picked the song they did.

I left twice for the concession stand, and didn't even care to ask what had happened while I was gone. There were times I found that I was even having to remind myself to pay attention to the dialogue. As I don't go to the theater often, it's usually a treat to me, and most of the time I enjoy whatever I'm watching simply because it's relaxing and a chance to be out. But for once I was actually bored. It was about the quality of a TV show, but unfortunately lasted the length of a full movie.

The romantic/action with husband and wife fighting-yet-finding-they-might-still-love-each-other plot has been done before much better. "Mr and Mrs Smith" was GOOD. "Fool's Gold" was decent. "Bounty Hunter" was just downright poor. So disappointing!

It is a well known fact that American comedies generally suffer from lackluster scripts, usually employed as vehicles for rising or established stars. The Bounty Hunter is no exception, as its charm lies solely in the joint presence of Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston, rather than in the fact that Andy Tennant (Hitch) is directing. Of course, even two fine actors such as those in this film are no good if the material is beneath their talent.

The story goes like this: Butler is an ex-cop who currently works as a bounty hunter. One day, he is given the opportunity to bring in his ex-wife (Aniston), who is wanted by the police after jumping bail. As he tracks her down and embarks on a hellish journey to take her back home, the two find themselves in the middle of a murky murder case, not to mention a series of situations that put their hatred for each other to the test.

On paper, there's plenty of potential for a moderately entertaining action comedy: think Midnight Run with a rom-com twist. Unfortunately, the film is an uneven mess, jumping from cringe-worthy "romantic" moments to OTT action scenes, complete with clichéd hotel room/strip club bits that have been out of fashion for quite some time. The tonal inconsistencies are reflected in the acting, as well: supporting performances range from passably straight (Jeff Garlin) to borderline ridiculous (Christine Baranski), whereas the leading duo does generally fine when they're together, less so separately, with Aniston being clearly more at ease with the less physically demanding stuff, while the opposite is true for Butler.

In short, The Bounty Hunter is an inconsistent picture that doesn't have enough laughs for a comedy, nor the appropriate direction for an action flick. The best option would be to ignore it altogether.

I really don't understand the harsh reviews here. Many are just not credible when they're overstating their dislike of the movie. What did they want? nudity, swearing, bathroom jokes? Jeez, not enough of that in Hollywood! This movie was exactly what I was expecting, so I liked it. This is not a Jim Carey movie so don't expect a silly, slapstick film. The script here is better than many movies I've seen lately that did better at the box office, so the only thing I can assume is that people went in with an expectation of a different type of film. If you don't go in with expectations of big laughs, but rather a nice movie about an ex in trouble and her slightly vindictive ex-husband taking pleasure in hauling her back for cash, you'll like this movie. That is, unless your more into just thinking what critics tell you to think. I'd like to see Butler do more of these movies.

The gambler and former police officer Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) owes money to dangerous bookmakers and works as bounty hunter. His ex-wife Nicole Hurley (Jennifer Aniston) is a reporter snooping the mysterious death of a man that was reported by the police as suicide. Meanwhile Nicole is accused of running over and assaulting a police officer and is summoned to a hearing in the court. However, she has a lead for her case and she misses the audience with the judge. Milo is assigned to track down and arrest Nicole; in return, he would receive an award of US 5,000.00. While hunting Kate, Milo stays close to his ex-wife and they both revive the good moments they had in their marriage. But Nicole is pursued by the criminal that she is investigating and Milo by the henchmen of the takers and they get into trouble.

I expected much more from "The Bounty Hunter" since I like the sexy Jennifer Aniston and the efficient Gerard Butler. However, the story recalls "Serving Sara" and is entertaining in a few moments but without the charm of the movie of 2002. The tanned Jennifer Aniston shows a magnificent shape in a sexy black dress that highlights her awesome legs. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Caçador de Recompensa" ("Bounty Hunter")

Well, I had expected more of a movie with a cast of this caliber.

It seemed like a toned down version of "Mr and Mrs Smith", except for lacking the comedy and in-you-face presence. Sure, the story in "The Bounty Hunter" was alright, it had enough action scenes and enough romance in it to keep most pleased, but it seriously lacked comedy. I, for one, had expected more laughs out of the movie.

Anyway, the cast and their performances were top notch. Good to see Butler in a role like this, to show his diversity as an actor.

Halfway through the movie I started to do other stuff while the movie kept on playing, it became that uninteresting actually.

But I am sure for fans of Butler and Aniston, then this movie is a must see. Personally, I didn't find it all that interesting though. For me, there are better and more compelling movies out there at the moment.

Sadly, I have to rate this movie as a flat 5 out of 10.