A self-indulgent rom-com rescued by Kevin James

Rating: 6/10 (30 April 2020)

Hitch is a film about two love stories. One of these stories- between Will Smith and Eva Mendes- is tedious, off-putting and shamelessly unrealistic. Two self-satisfied obnoxious morons with awful careers and awful world views bathing in their own pretentiousness. Every second of interaction between these two vile characters is painful to watch and made worse by the fact that they're probably not even acting very much.
The other love story- between Kevin James and Amber Valletta- is much more palatable. It is sweet and sincere and, while it may be a bit far-fetched to imagine these two ever actually getting together, it is a romance you can feel positive about and root for.
As a comedy, Hitch has plenty of good moments- largely down to Kevin James' bumbling character and his associated mishaps. The story is reasonably interesting but, like most Hollywood films, it drags on way too long and indulges itself in many unnecessary scenes.