Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Robert Luketic, Lionsgate, PG 93 Minutes.
Australian filmmaker Robert Luketic who directed Katherine Heigl in ‘The Ugly Truth’ returns to cast her again together with Ashton Kutcher (‘Jobs’) in what can best be described as an enjoyable romantic action comedy.
The story revolves around a spy with a licence to kill, an innocent girl from the suburbs, and two overly possessive parents, the Kornfeldts, played by ‘Magnum P.I.’ TV star Tom Selleck and the Catherine O’Hara from ‘Home Alone’.
While holidaying in the exquisite city of Nice with her parents the delightful Jen (Heigl) meets up with the secretive, muscle bound Spencer (Kutcher) who immediately falls in love with her and decides to abandon his James Bond career.
After a few years of being married in the suburbs, Spencer’s former life as a spy rears its ugly head when he unexpectedly learns that he’s become a target with a 20 million dollar contract on his life.
It so happens that the hired killers turn out to be their fellow workers, friends even their neighbours forcing both Spencer and Jen to run for their lives.
As their peaceful paradise turns into a deadly game of hide and seek (and littered bodies) they do everything to find-out who wants Spencer killed at the same time trying to save their marriage, deal with Spencer’s in-laws, and simply survive.
Once the story has reached its actioned-filled climax, following more killings, Spencer and Jen find relief from the support provided by her parents – especially with the arrival of another family member shown in the concluding scenes.
Even though there are some similarities to the portrayals by Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in ‘Knight and Day’, the scenes shared between Heigl and Kutcher appear to be more entertaining which is complemented by their personal chemistry.
While it is the comedic performances of Heigl and her parents (Selleck and O’Hara) which provides most of the entertainment value in Luketic’s farcical comedy one cannot discount Kutcher’s portrayal of the Bond character.
Killers is being televised on 9GEM at 8.40pm on Friday 14 May.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 ½ Stars
