My Movie Review on Hitch
Aloha, my good pals.
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for my 114th film analysis and fifth installment of my "February Festivity", I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Hitch".
Here's the summary of it:
Alex "Hitch" Hitchens is a "Date Doctor" who coaches men on how to win a girl's heart. His most challenging case yet, though, comes in the form of Albert Brennaman, who is rather bumbling and isn't exactly what many would classify as a normal person.
Meanwhile, Alex finds himself smitten with a gossip columnist named Sara Melas, who is ironically trying to uncover the identity of the "Date Doctor" she's heard so much about.
What's in store in this tale of love and hijinks? Well, let's find out.
I really gotta tell you guys this:
Next to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", this film is one of the best romantic-comedies I've ever seen! Perhaps even the best. I don't understand why it even gained such a mixed critical reception to begin with.
For instance, the acting, casting, characters, and character development in articulation were superb.
Will Smith was perfect for the role of Alex. Every step of the way, I couldn't help but note that he was not only the right choice for a character that's handsome, but also as someone who's instantly likable no matter what. He portrayed his character with astounding personality and comedic-timings, and he was clearly very passionate about his character and the project. I can definitely tell thanks to the fact that he co-produced the movie, that's for sure.
Likewise, Kevin James literally stole the show as Albert. Even though Albert messed things up a lot of times, James incorporated a wholesome innocence and personality in the character that made him instantly lovable, and his comedic-chops were hilarious. In reference to the fact that most of James's work either bombed or got negatively received, this film and his role of Albert are what I believe to be his very best by far, and he looked like he was enjoying himself too. It just goes to show that James is a talented man who's obviously getting put down by lackluster scripts and direction. And believe me, I know that because I've seen some of his other films.
Eva Mendes and her character of Sara Melas were quite the showstoppers too. I found it to be fascinating that she was cast in the role primarily because Columbia thought her being a Latina would be a good compromise between casting either a white or black woman for the role, but I found her casting to be special for reasons beyond that. She portrayed her character with awesome personality and humor in a way like she was born for the role of Sara, and it was like only she could get her character at a level that was toe-to-toe with Smith's character.
Along with the fact that Will Smith, Kevin James, and Eva Mendes were awesome in the roles of Alex, Albert, and Sara, their characters had excellent development throughout the movie.
The one character I wasn't very fond of was Vance Munson. That's okay, though, because I can see he was obviously intended to be unlikable since he's an antagonist of sorts. Jeffrey Donovan did a great job portraying his character, if I may add.
The direction by Andy Tennant, and the story by Kevin Bisch, were absolutely creative and divine. The humor in the film was hilarious, and the best part about it was that it was innocent, well-worked, wasn't disgusting, and was obviously given a lot of thought. The romance between Alex and Sara, and Albert and Allegra, were elements that additionally helped this movie have emotion, heart, and a soul; and there was a great moral about love too.
Finally, the music score by George Fenton was enjoyably melodious. Similar to his work in "Groundhog Day", I loved the sense of passion he put into his music, and he did a great job at making it as emotionally-engaging as possible and helping the film feel bigger than likely intended. The incorporation of various popular songs, such as "Yeah!" and "Now That We Found Love" was a genuinely fun touch, and it particularly inspired me to upload the two songs I mentioned to my music app.
In conclusion, "Hitch" is another gem of a romantic-comedy that's nonstop fun and worth a look from everyone, and it's a great PG-13 film too.
So, I rate "Hitch" five out of five stars.
