Fans of Katherine Heigl and/or Ashton Kutcher might not be disappointed by Killers, the new, fluffy, high concept comedy. All others will just think it’s silly.
As directed by Robert Luketic, working from a script by Bob DeRosa and T. M. Griffin, Killers strives to be a throwback to the breezy spy films of the 1960s. Heigl is Jen Kornfelt, a reserved, single woman just getting over a bad break-up. On a trip to Nice with her parents (Catherine O’Hara and Tom Selleck ), she meets the dashing Spencer and it’s love at first sight. Fortunately, he feels the same.
Before you can say fade out/fade in, the two are married and living in bland, domestic, suburban bliss. And that’s just the way Spencer likes it. You see, he has a secret. In his past life, Spencer was a CIA agent -- specialty -- assassination. And he doesn’t miss it a bit. As things are going so well with Jen, and he’s left his past life far behind, he didn’t see the need to tell her about it. Big mistake! Out of the blue, Spencer’s old boss resurfaces, and before Spencer knows it, he’s targeted for death by everyone he meets. And much to Jen’s dismay, she’s along for the ride. And if things aren’t bad enough, as Jen tries to come to grips with the truth about her husband, she learns they are also going to have a baby.
The best thing about Killers is the interchange between Heigl and Kutcher. They have a likeable onscreen chemistry and an easy, playful banter. It would be fun to see how they’d fare together in a comic vehicle with some depth. The trouble here is that the filmmakers are much more interested in playing “gotcha” with the audience. The film is full of surprises, but none make any sense. Logic is the big fatality of Killers.
Also coming up empty is the supporting cast. Selleck and O’Hara try their hardest to generate laughs from their one-note characters, but it’s not an easy task. The film is filled with such familiar comic faces as Rob Riggle, Martin Mull, Lisa Ann Walter, Casey Wilson and Alex Borstein, but their parts are also paper-thin.
If you’re looking to kill some time, see Killers. But if you’re looking for a killer comedy, move on. There’s nothing to see here.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
