A possibly get-even career choice, who knows, Jennifer Aniston flees an ex-spouse who repeatedly makes a fool of himself for the full length feature duration, in Bounty Hunter.
Perpetually out of breath and dodging danger and the dud of a guy while clad in a single one-size-too-small sleek flirty number, Aniston gives new meaning to the notion of tempting cat and mouse capers.
Even if she’s also stuck with the task of propping up a conventional comedy.
Aniston is Nicole in Bounty Hunter, a Big Apple news reporter and apparently free lance snoop who’s obsessed with tracking down leads in a local suspicious suicide. Not exactly Lois Lane, goofy Nicole is too busy sorting out clues to show up in court on a traffic charge. Which leads to a bench warrant against her, for jumping bail.
Enter Milo (Gerard Butler), her bad news former spouse of nine months and ex-cop, whose gambling addiction got him tossed off the force. Now an avid bounty hunter, Milo couldn’t be more ecstatic about an assignment to corner and nab his ex-wife and, well, shackle her to his bedpost while making a detour into an Atlantic City hotel casino, until the long arm of the law can kick in.
Directed by Andy Tennant (Hitch, Sweet Home Alabama), Bounty Hunter is also a guilt party in presently primarily uninspiring laughs and prolonged punchlines that could have benefited from lots of tightening and trimming along the way. The lame gags do get a lift from the combined enthusiasm of these two stars, though screen chemistry between them is at a minimum. Expect lots of handcuffs, and a nifty turn by Aniston who really knows how to put a man in his place, if you call her ‘girl.’
The good news is a story nicely sprinkled with a succession of surprise cameos by whimsical, seasoned older actresses. Including Carol Kane, Cathy Moriarty, and Christine Baranski as Aniston’s extreme sexpot mom, who has a thing or two to teach her about taming the male species.
Sony Pictures
Rated PG-13
2 1/2 [out of 4] stars
DVD Features: Making Of The Bounty Hunter; Featurettes: Stops Along The Way; Rules For Outwitting A Bounty Hunter.
BLU-Ray Extras: MovieIQ + sync and BD LIVE connecting to real-time information on the cast, music and trivia while watching the movie; Digital Copy of the Film,
