The Netflix Action Blockbuster That Inspired A Hit TV Series
Here’s a little secret about the best action films: unlike other genres like drama that require really complex narratives, the best action movies have very simple concepts. For example, while the franchise went off the rails a long time ago, you can describe the first Terminator movie to someone by saying “killer robot from the future.” Another simple concept action movie with great execution is Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a tale of marital conflict made quite literal that you can stream on Netflix today.
The Premise
Mr. and Mrs. Smith has a straightforward premise: the titular duo is a married couple, and each spouse is (unbeknownst to the other) working for different firms as a contract killer. After a botched job, the two are assigned to kill each other, and it looks like this rocky marriage is far likelier to end in death than divorce.
The Cast
If you’ve never watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith before, one of the first things you will notice is that it has the kind of cast a modern action movie would kill for.
Supporting actors include reliable funnyman Vince Vaughn and genre film legend Keith David. The movie is also graced by the ethereal beauty of Michelle Monaghan and, by voice only, the gently authoritative tones of Angela Bassett.
However, the real stars of Mr. and Mrs. Smith are, of course, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in their “are you really allowed to be this hot?” physical prime. Their action scenes are great, but more importantly, the two have a chemistry that threatens to set almost every scene they share on fire.
That’s not a surprise, though: while their relationship ended in a nasty divorce, these two stars got married after hitting it off so well during the production of this film, infamously ending his previous marriage to Friends legend Jennifer Aniston.
A Big Hit
One of the reasons Mr. and Mrs. Smith looks so great is that it had quite the budget: $110 million. That was money well spent, though, as the film went on to earn a cool $487.3 million for 20th Century Fox.
Surprisingly, there was never a sequel to this film, but there was a failed attempt to turn it into a TV series in 2007 before Amazon rebooted the franchise with Donald Glover and Maya Erskine replacing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the title roles.
Critics Didn’t Hate It
Beyond earning some major bank at the box office, Mr. and Mrs. Smith generally impressed critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a critical rating of 60 percent. For the most part, critics agreed that the movie had some weak writing and used action as a narrative crutch, the sheer chemistry of Pitt and Jolie makes this worth the price of admission.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
I certainly agree that the stars’ sizzling chemistry is the chief reason to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I would argue against the idea that the movie has, as the consensus reads, “one too many explosions.”
Quite frankly, I watch action movies for the action, and when that’s your mindset, there’s no such thing as too many explosions.
The movie makes for both a wonderful time capsule action film and the perfect chaser for anyone who is, like me, still devastated by the cliffhanger ending to the Amazon reboot.
It’s not the smartest film and doesn’t have the tightest script, but Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the kind of engaging action film that has become a genuine rarity in Hollywood.
In a world of overly complex films trying to bite Marvel’s style, this movie is a simple concept brought to life in the most deliriously chaotic way. Straightforward thrills powered by a hot couple with insane chemistry—honestly, what else are you really looking for?
