Stylish action and classy wit, but still a loose bag of sorts

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2005)

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PROLOGUE: I've heard a lot of people say that they either don't want to see this or think it will 'suck' because of the rumors circulating around Brad and Angelina Grown adults saying this. I'm barely out of my teens and I'm not that shallow or judgmental. What business is it of ours what they do with their personal life?? It certainly has nothing to do with the quality of the film, and in an ideal world, should have nothing to do with whether we see it or not. And I'm speaking as someone who considers Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Aniston as three of her all-time favorite actors/actresses. Rumors are just thatrumors. So open your mind, see the movie, and judge (the film) for yourself. But to each his or her own I'm stepping down from the soap box now.
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As much as I wanted to love this movie, I must admit, I came away a *little* disappointed. On the whole, it just felt a little haphazard, but then again, maybe that was intentional. But don't get me wrongit was highly entertaining and a fresh and energized action movieaction mixed with humor makes for some of the best movies, and I don't think I've ever seen one where the two come together as seamlessly as this. I was laughing throughout pretty much the entire movie, even in the midst of the shooting and explosions.
I'm sure I don't have to point out that Angelina and Brad have sizzling chemistry, and it was fun just to watch them interact. Still, the film *did* feel a little loose. The background story on the two opposing agencies was kept vague as well as a few other minor plot points which keeps the film from feeling solid.
Angelina turned in a better performance than Brad, showing us a vulnerable side to her character that convincingly seemed to finally have been stripped away after five or six years of secrecy. Brad did a fine job as well, but I felt more of Jane's turmoil than John's, which arguably is fitting to his character as he tends to be a bit passive. And to that end, I'd like to point out that I thoroughly enjoyed the minor detail of their respective weapons of choice matching their personal styles. Jane, being the more dominant and bold of the two, always has the big oozies and machine guns, whereas John, being more passive and malleable, usually carries your more standard hand guns.
The biggest problem I had with the movie was the open-ended endI think the makers had it in them to come up with another, more conclusive scene that could've given the movie some much-needed tautness.
But these on the whole are only minor discrepanciesthis is without a doubt one of the most entertaining movies I've seen all year. And FYI, this film held up to my second viewing standardsI laughed just as much if not more upon the second time around.
VERDICT: A success in making a refreshing action movie filled with plenty of both explosions and punch lines, but a little lacking in story and direction. Highly recommended to all looking for a wild ride in the midst of recent box office duds.
7.0 out of 10.0 (Original rating)
*** 7.5 out of 10.0 (Rating after 2nd viewing) ***