Promising but key aspects lost

Rating: 2/10 (13 July 2005)

This was a sure disappointment. Both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie obviously possess more acting skill (not huge amount-- just more than is shown here) than they use in this wishy-washy movie. Brad Pitt was absolutely abysmal, doing clichéd high school lines such as (when his wife stabs him), gritting his teeth and saying grumpily, "We'll talk about this later!" Angelina, considered by most to be the most beautiful woman in the world, bases her whole performance on this. She wears ridiculous outfits (the white shirt and red-rubber boots-- how did she have time to put those on?) designed to make the audience reflect on how she can look fantastically sexy in everything. Most of her scenes, actually, contained this "theme". The movie's tired message (love is more important that career bla bla bla) is lost in the fact that these two are annoying, reckless, and don't actually appear to have much on-screen chemistry.
Furthermore, the action sequences seemed to be cheap James Bond-type drivel, bordering on video game. While it is feasible for 007 to beat 50 guys by himself, when these two do it-- it just seems ridiculous. Guns ablazing, the movie would have been more satisfying if the two heroes had shot themselves in the feet.