Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Much of this film's media hype concerned the alleged relationship between Pitt and Jolie during filming, so it is refreshing that the film itself is befitting of all the free publicity it generated.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Pitt and Jolie) are the world's two deadliest assassins, combining drop dead gorgeous looks with a lethality that has made them the top of their profession. They are allowed to dress well, get all the best lines and have some pretty big guns to play with.

Only things aren't perfect. Trapped in a failing marriage, nothing seems to be able to revive their lost spark. Of course, the fact that neither knows about the other's secret double life is hardly helping matters.

This all changes when the two unexpectedly meet in their professional world after they are both assigned the same target to dispose of and it is from this point on that the film really comes alive. Pitt and Jolie are more than a match for the material offered up and unite well in both the comedic and more serious moments.

The humour flows freely with plenty of genuinely funny one-liners as well as some well- thought-out observational scenes, particular the counselling scenes between the two leads. The big action sequences too are suitably impressive with enough explosions and gunfire to impress all but the most demanding.

That this picture successfully manages to mix comedy with a splattering of spectacular action sequences is a credit to director Doug Liman who has set the tone of the film just right. Despite some of the reported problems on the set, it has all come together marvellously.

Another mindless action film it is not, though ultimately it might just be pure escapism, but done so well that no-one could really mind.

James Kopka