Another Wil Smith film

Rating: 5/10 (10 September 2005)

"Hitch" is a romantic comedy vehicle for Wil Smith. It has some interesting ideas and does a wonderful job of capturing the magical New York as it's back drop. Smith is very good as a leading man and comic relief and he is both in this film. Playing a "romance" consultant for guys who are hopeless, he is a Guru who knows of what he preaches. We find that his near scientific knowledge of wooing the fairer sex comes from a particularly devastating experience he had when he was younger and that it is his mission to help others who are truly looking for romance(he draws the line at helping those with less savory intentions). Smith finds his suaveness and his own savvy becoming useless when he comes across a gossip reporter who is tracking down an heiress who is dating one of his clients played by the always hilarious Kevin James. The problem with the film is that it resorts to goofy, slapstick humor when all else fails(the shellfish allergy scene is an example of this). Also, the chemistry between Smith and Eva Mendes is not convincing. This is no reflection on either actor but there was no convincing conflict between the two. All in all, this is yet another vehicle but Kevin James did steal every scene he was in and brought the funny to a movie that is merely standard, assembly line, multi-plex fare.