He will love it. She will love it. Jen will despise it.

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2005)

As an action movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is explosive with trigger happy gun brawls. As a romantic comedy this movie is as charming and as funny as any Meg Ryan Tom Hanks collaboration. This movie has the ability to meet the needs of all types of moviegoers, but be advised to leave the kids at home.
The movie opens with our couple at a marriage counseling session that updates with the progression of the movie and the status of their relationship, which turn out to be some of the most hilarious parts of the movie. Mr. and Mrs. Smith like any marriage, has its secrets. But to Mr John Smith and Mrs Jane Smith, these secrets can be deadly. At home they lead the normal lives as all couples do: agree with or disregard his sense of interior decoration, like or pretend to like her homemade cooking. At the office they lead, not just secret lives, but top secret lives as Mr and Mrs Smith both turn out to be top hit men (or woman) at two different organizations. However, after getting assigned the same mark, they get involved in each other's business and soon after get their new assignments: each other... developing into a dangerous, and hilarious relationship.
The premise may seem like True Lies without the Austrian Accent. True Lies also showcased a superspy whose secret life intertwined with his personal life. What sets Mr and Mrs Smith apart is less focus on their missions and more focus on their interaction and the suspense and hilarity of their relationship's development.
Doug Liman has definitely come a long way since the independent days of Swingers. However, even with his move from Swingers and Go to his bigger scale movies of Bourne Identity and Mr and Mrs Smith, he maintains his keen ability to connect with the audience. In other words, despite the bright lights and razzle dazzle, for lack of a better term, necessary in an action flick, he finds room for the audience to get engaged into the characters and what will come of their relationship... of its continuity or its termination.
One person who wouldn't bear to watch a single minute of this is poor Jen Aniston. Publicity stunt or not, all the tabloid gossip about Mr and Mrs Smith off camera has definitely helped it in the box office. But more importantly the chemistry between Pitt and Jolie on screen set the foundation for the movie, and without that chemistry the movie wouldn't have worked. Both actors have proved to be tremendously talented actors (See Fight Club and Girl Interrupted) not to mention eye candy... I'd sell my soul for one night with Angelina and I'm not afraid to admit that anyone would kill to have abs like Brad.
Their chemistry, acting ability, and sexual appeal were all necessary for this movie to work. Imagine if instead they clashed like Mr Smith played by Tom Cruise and Mrs Smith played by, I don't know Katie Holmes? Or if their acting needed polishing like Hayden Christensen alongside Paris Hilton. And not to say anything about their sex lives, but what if they had the sex appeal of Horatio Sanz with Chyna. No nothing else seems to work. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were made for this movie.
With a duo of that magnitude, this movie was certain to be a hit. It was refreshing to find that it wasn't misleading and that Mr and Mrs Smith delivered a package that was able to charm you, hold you in suspense, make you laugh hysterically, and make you want to wet your pants and make out with the girl next to you.
I can't think of anything wrong about this movie. Whether your fix is gunfire and cracking necks or if its enchanted moments and steamy sex appeal, you will be satisfied. To top it off Doug Liman reached back into the vault of the legendary Swingers world and resurrected good old T money Trent. Not only should you see it but see it again. Bring a date or two, and then tell your friends and family. This movie is classic.