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Hitch (Widescreen Edition) (2005)

Comedy movie directed by Andy Tennant

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Will Smith Shines

  • Feb 1, 2007
Rating:
+3
Displaying that he can handle the lead role in a romantic comedy just as easily as he can handle every other genre in the field, Will Smith shines in HITCH as Alex Hitchens, aka "The Date Doctor." Hitch helps average guys gain the attention and win the hearts of the women of their dreams. He has a strict code that he follows and his identity has remained a secret.

Hitch is hired by a tax accountant named Albert (Kevin James). Albert is an overweight, average-Joe who happens to work at a firm that handles starlet Allegra Cole's (Amber Valleta) accounts. Allegra Cole is a celebrity and has all the money, fame, power, and beauty that comes with her station. Albert falls deeply in love with Ms. Cole and needs help getting her attention. This is a romantic comedy, so even the most improbable scenarios become likely and soon Albert finds himself dating the famous Allegra Cole.

Meanwhile, Hitch has some problems of his own. He's fallen for a national gossip columnist, Sara (Eva Mendes) who is trying to figure out who the unknown man Allegra Cole has been seen with really is. Hitch is a true genius at setting up scenarios for his clients, but all of the tricks he uses to help his clients have the opposite effect when he uses them with Sara. For example, A romantic trip to Ellis Island turns Sara into a raging and crying fury of hatred and a night at a make-your-own seafood place has Hitch breaking out in a serious facial reaction. As Hitch and Sara bond with each other, their relationship becomes increasingly rocky when a spurned client turns on Hitch and Sara learns what he really does for a living.

The poster and DVD cover for HITCH say that "Will Smith is `Hitch'". There's no better way to explain it because Smith is Hitch. Every gesture, move, and spoken phrase seems perfect. Hitch is a role that Smith was born to play. But Smith doesn't shine alone in the film. Eva Mendes is a beautiful woman, but she's also incredibly talented. She holds her own against one of Hollywood's most powerful actors. From various interviews she has given, Mendes seems like a down-to-Earth person. That reality grounds Sara and radiates through her and makes her someone that the audience cares for. Kevin James does an excellent job as the film's pivotal-plot character Albert and in many scenes upstages Smith.

I tend to like most genres of movies as long as there is a good story involved. However, romantic comedies are my least favorite film genre. Many romantic comedies made are trite and have no originality to them. HITCH really isn't like that. The movie has a good story, great actors, and solid direction. It's both funny and tender. Unlike many movies in he genre, HITCH is a movie that a person can enjoy watching by themselves just as much as watching it with a loved one.

Recommended for fans of romantic comedies, fans of Will Smith, fans of Eva Mendes, and fans of Kevin James. For movie trivia fans, the fire station shown at the beginning of the movie as Hitch is helping a client is the same firehouse used in GHOSTBUSTERS.

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More Hitch (2005) reviews
review by . January 21, 2007
My feelings are good not great on this one. Will Smith tries to play the dating doctor but it turns out that he needs some thereapy when he falls for a reporter. Its all a matter of practicing what you preach. Some good scenes where Smith's, knowledgeable but shy accountant speaks out especially when confronted with aristocratic snobs. The speedating scene is amusing as well. Howver, the movie is sluggish in spots. Nonetheless the good outweighs the bad.
review by . November 21, 2005
posted in Movie Hype
The movie is one of the better comedys from the past year (along with Harold and Kumar go to White Castle). This movie has its bright moments and some of the film reminded me of Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor and Boomerang. Will Smith is entertaining as the date doctor who secretly helps a lot of guys win girls that they would never have a chance with otherwise. His big assignment is to help a basically nice though "bumbling" guy win the heart of a Paris Hilton type heiress. Many of the training …
review by . June 16, 2005
posted in Movie Hype
Now and then movies with big name stars and expensive production budgets and PR hype that convince audiences that the Rapture is at hand hit the mat with a thud - and this HITCH is floored in the first half hour (of an overly long two hour movie!). Using a script that uses every cliché from the myriad other films that tell this same story gimmick using females in the Smith role of date doctor, this movie limps along with silly dialogue and pratfall type of comedy, all of which could be forgiven …
review by . February 10, 2005
posted in Movie Hype
Pros: Smith and James are great.     Cons: Last 20 minutes of the film play as very lazy.     The Bottom Line: A few glitches but an overall enjoyable film.     February is the time of year when thoughts turn to romance and the coming spring. It is also the time of year when Hollywood brings new romantic themed films to the theaters in an effort to open big thanks to the date movie crowd.   Some of the efforts such as last weekends …
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About this movie

Wiki

Will Smith's easygoing charm makesHitchthe kind of pleasant, uplifting romantic comedy that you could recommend to almost anyone--especially if there's romance in the air. As suave Manhattan dating consultant Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, Smith plays up the smoother, sophisticated side of his established screen persona as he mentors a pudgy accountant (Kevin James) on the lessons of love. The joke, of course, is that Hitch's own love life is a mess, and as he coaches James toward romance with a rich, powerful, and seemingly inaccessible beauty named Allegra (Amber Valetta), he's trying too hard to impress a savvy gossip columnist (Eva Mendes) with whom he's fallen in love. Through mistaken identities and mismatched couples, director Andy Tennant brings the same light touch that made Drew Barrymore'sEver Afterso effortlessly engaging. As romantic comedies go,Hitchdoesn't offer any big surprises, but as a date movie it gets the job done with amiable ease and style.--Jeff Shannon
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Details

Director: Andy Tennant
Genre: Comedy
Screen Writer: Kevin Bisch
DVD Release Date: June 14, 2005
Runtime: 118 minutes
Studio: Columbia Pictures
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