The Bounty Hunter

Director: Andy Tennant
Cast: Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston, Cathy Moriarty and Christine Baranski
Releasing in cinemas: 18 March 2010
Rated: M

Thrill of the hunt

Bounty hunters have been a staple of western movies, in particular, but their contemporary counterparts have included Domino, and television’s Dog The Bounty Hunter. This lacklustre action comedy comes across as a lame riff on Midnight Run, the superior 1988 action comedy with Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter on the trail of a former mob accountant.

This largely unfunny comedy seems to have been green lighted purely on the strength of the casting, without too much effort being put into the lazy script. The Bounty Hunter is a rather tiresome mix of genres – romantic comedy, battle of the sexes comedy, road movie, chase thriller - and familiar cliches, none of them particularly effective or memorable.

Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler, from 300) is the titular character here, a disgraced former NYPD cop who now ekes out a living as a bounty hunter tracking down bail jumpers. An alcoholic with a serious gambling problem, his life is a bit of a mess, and he is desperate to pick up some extra cash. But his latest charge seems like a dream job. He is hired to bring in Nicole Hurley (Jennifer Aniston), his ex-wife, an investigative journalist who fails to turn up to court to defend a charge of petty assault. Given their former relationship, Milo has an intimate knowledge of her habits, which should make it an easy task.

But Nicole is pursuing a lead about an alleged suicide that she suspects was actually a murder. This investigation leads her, and Milo, into a case involving corrupt cops who are secretly raiding the evidence locker. Somewhat predictably though, this bickering couple rediscovers their attraction for each other, while eluding the crooks.

The Bounty Hunter has been directed in rather pedestrian fashion by Andy Tennant, a journeyman film maker who has lent his uninspired hand to such mediocre comedies as Fools Rush In and It Takes Two. Tennant tries to replicate the madcap feel of the romantic comedies of yesteryear, but falls well short of the mark. Part of the film’s failing lies in the script from Sarah Thorp, which lacks any genuine humour.

Butler seems to deliver his performance on autopilot here, while the post-Friends Aniston seems stuck in a rut, playing these rather perky but one-dimensional roles. A solid ensemble cast has been assembled to flesh out the smaller roles. Cathy Moriarty has a small role as Irene, the loan shark who employs a couple of incompetent thugs to try and shake Milo down and recover the $11000 he owes. Christine Baranski provides some colour with her over the top performance as Nicole’s mother, a faded cabaret star. And Carol Kane is wasted in a small role as a woman who runs a romantic retreat where Nicole and Milo briefly hide out.

One of the strangest peripheral characters is Stewart (played by Jason Sudeikis), a sleazy and nerdy colleague who once had a brief but forgettable fling with Nicole and imagines he still has a connection with her. He surreptitiously follows her, which leads him into trouble.

Rumours of an on-set romance between Aniston and Butler may add some extra box office appeal, but their alleged relationship is not evident on the screen. Just think how those tabloid reports and salacious gossip about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie also created healthy box office figures for Mr And Mrs Smith. However, De Niro and co-star Charles Grodin developed a better chemistry and rapport in Midnight Run than the two stars here. Even the banter and byplay between the two leads lacks any real spark and wit. Overall, The Bounty Hunter is a major disappointment and rather forgettable stuff.

Greg King

Read more of Greg King's reviews at filmreviews.net.au