Bounty Hunter fails to capture action aficionados

By Jackie Ammons     3/25/10 7:00pm

The good news, ladies, is that your boyfriend might willingly accompany you to see The Bounty Hunter. The title suggests a testosterone-fest packed with action sequences, but The Bounty Hunter is actually a chick flick that features a few guns and a splash of suspense. Granted, the movie's marketers should get credit for using a title that might scam reluctant boyfriends into seeing the film, but be warned: The Bounty Hunter is not an action film.Nicole (He's Just Not That Into You's Jennifer Aniston) is a successful investigative reporter whose sleuthing is cut short when a warrant for her arrest is issued for a minor traffic accident. Bounty hunter - and Nicole's ex-husband - Milo (Law Abiding Citizen's Gerard Butler) re-enters Nicole's life to bring her in for the reward, but on their way back to jail, they begin to fall for each other all over again and unravel Nicole's original case in the process, with some help from Nicole's lounge singer mother (Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife"), Nicole's nerdy co-worker Stewart (Jason Sudeikis, "Saturday Night Live") and local bartender Jimmy (Up in the Air's Adam Rose).

The ever-popular Butler, who has honed his acting chops in action films (such as 2006's 300) and romantic comedies (such as 2009's The Ugly Truth), is both a ladies' man and a man's man. But surprisingly, he isn't quite as convincing in this hybrid action-romantic film. Butler's character Milo tries to be both a lover and a hunter, but Butler fails to successfully pull off the combination. Aniston, on the other hand, plays the ambitious and beautiful love interest perfectly. She has, of course, cultivated an entire career around these sorts of roles - they won't garner Oscar nods, but they're what audiences expect of her.

The most obvious flaw in The Bounty Hunter is its title. While the film features a bounty hunter and his ex-wife, its central focus is on neither the action nor the bounty hunting; instead, the film foregrounds the romantic relationship between Nicole and Milo. The chemistry between the two characters is constant throughout the film because of their past history - flashbacks to their honeymoon bed-and-breakfast and references to their relationship before the break-up constantly remind the audience that The Bounty Hunter is about the romance, with the action simply as a backdrop for Nicole and Milo's reunion.

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However, just because the film's title is generally misleading does not mean that there are no moments of action or suspense. To the contrary, The Bounty Hunter's slight dose of suspense is probably one of the few positive elements of the film, adding excitement and keeping the audience on edge more than a typical romantic comedy does. The plot, while not strikingly original, skillfully mixes witty one-liners and likeable characters into the otherwise uninspired storyline.

Nevertheless, if audiences go into the film and correctly recognize The Bounty Hunter as a romantic comedy - not as an action movie - then it has the potential to be an entertaining film. The funny supporting characters, such as Nicole's adoring co-worker and her floozy mother, add humorous side stories to Nicole and Milo's romance. The couple has stellar chemistry and is also enjoyable to watch: Aniston's femininity nicely complements Butler's brusque exterior. Strong characters do not a strong film make, however, and The Bounty Hunter ultimately falls short with its trite, predictable plot. This film may be mildly enjoyable on first viewing, but you definitely won't leave the theater hunting for a sequel.

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