Mr And Mrs Smith review

With the tabloids in a frenzy over the real-life situation of the stars of 'Mr and Mrs Smith', the question on everyone's lips is whether the onscreen chemistry between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt can live up to the hype. The answer is yes: Jolie and Pitt are by far the best thing about this summer blockbuster, a concept movie which delivers plenty of action and humour but is let down by a script that is one-dimensional to say the least.

The eponymous couple live in an idyllic house in an idyllic neighbourhood but their marriage is in trouble. In the film's funniest scenes, we see John and Jane meeting a therapist, bemoaning the lack of sparkle in their six-year-old marriage. But they are keeping a secret from their counselor and from each other: they are both two of the world's most highly-paid assassins, with pretend jobs as a computer specialist (Mrs) and a construction worker (Mr).

The duo lead cat-and-mouse lives while trying to keep a sense of harmony at home. Jolie pops off to her office - staffed by doll-like girls and in the mould of Jack Bauer's CTU headquarters in 24 - to find out her latest kill, while Pitt goes to his own office where he works alongside Vince Vaughn, a rather nervy partner who injects some welcome humour into the situation.

The problem with 'Mr and Mrs Smith' is that everyone is likely to know the premise before they go to the cinema, and once the game is up and the two partners inevitably realise that their spouse is also their biggest competition, there is very little to surprise in the screenplay, which becomes a problem in a film that clocks in at just under two hours. Originally written as a college project, the script plays little attention to minor aspects such as plot and continuity, and instead concentrates on the bigger picture.

Doug Liman built his reputation on smart, independent comedies such as 'Swingers' and 'Go' and then hit the big time with the impressive 'The Bourne Identity' in 2001, and his control of the action again remains impressive here. But he allows the film to become far too self-indulgent - there's a half-baked sideplot involving a potential target, the film makes several attempts to end before it actually does, and the attempts to recreate a golden couple of Hollywood are only partially successful.

Jolie and Pitt battle against these handicaps and both pass the test. Undoubtedly a treat to look at, they both ramp up the sexiness and Jolie in particular handles the light comedy moments impressively. Action roles to both of them are like water off a duck's back and there are certainly one or two impressive set pieces, but it's a case of the material not living up to the calibre and ability of the stars.

Paul Hurley