FROM the director of Fool’s Gold comes the latest Jennifer Aniston flick The Bounty Hunter.
When reporter Nicole Hurley (Aniston) fails to turn up for her court date, her bail is revoked and a bounty hunter sent to bring her to jail.
And the hunter who lands the job is non other than Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) - Nicole’s ex-husband.
But en route to prison the pair find themselves caught up in the middle of a murder conspiracy and on the run from armed drug dealers.
Can they survive their attackers - or each other?
Weak vision
Director Andy Tennant tries to capture the fun and chemistry of 80s staples like Bird On A Wire where a couple with a tempestuous past are thrown together in hazardous situation amidst a sprinkling of rom-com situations.
But after a promising start, it is painfully apparent he is not up to the job.
Messy direction and weak vision combine to make an uninspired 110 minutes, where even the faux 80s music screams ‘cheap copy’ rather than ironic post-modern homage.
But it’s not all his fault.
Limp and unfocused
A limp and unfocused script by Sarah Thorp drags its heels throughout, failing to jump straight into the action until far too late into the film - and even then on such a small scale the exciting title completely fails to live up to its potential.
The drug/suicide/murder/whodunnit plodding narrative is so derisory it is hard to remotely care, leaving it up to the solid cast to drive the movie.
Aniston plays yet another incarnation of her Friends persona, but still remains amiable throughout the bickering.
So too does Butler - who is quickly notching up the rom-com roles - managing to be rough around the edges enough to appeal to the ladies while not too distant for any men in the audience to relate.
Completing the line-up is jarring ‘comic relief’ from Saturday Night Live alumna Jason Sudeikis who, although amusing at moments, looks like he has wandered into the wrong film.
The Bounty Hunter could have been the perfect blend of romance, comedy, action and entertainment, but instead barely meets any of them.
Bizarrely bad dialogue and a flimsy anti-climax is just about countered by the sparks between Aniston and Butler, who manage to retain interest. But for a solid film of a superior ilk, leave it to Gibson and Hawn.
4/10 - Bountiful bore.