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Hitch
Columbia/Tri-Star // PG-13 // June 14, 2005
List Price: $28.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
At first glance Hitch might seem like the kind of romantic comedy that appeals much more to women than men; a proverbial 'date movie' which men might see more to earn 'brownie' points with their significant others than out of any interest for the film itself. Surprisingly, Hitch isn't your run of the mill romantic comedy and while men might claim they're seeing it for their "SO's", they might just end up liking it as much or even more than their female companions. Hitch is a fresh approach to a pretty worn out genre, with a strong script, a cast that has some phenomenal chemistry and perfect pace which keeps right on moving from beginning to end.
The strongest aspect of Hitch is Will Smith who plays Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens, a former woman-shy geek reinvented into a city wide urban legend - "The Date Doctor". Hitch is known for his inate ability to give any man a shot with any women. What's his secret? He finds ways to create opportunities to enable the real guy inside to shine. Like many 'urban legends' Hitch seems to be enigmatic, always lurking behind the door or around the corner very much like a modern day Cyrano De' Bergerac. Clients find Hitch through referral only, which coupled with his decidedly low profile give Hitch the ability to slip between his Bruce Wayne/Batman or Clark Kent/Superman like alter egos with ease.
The story of Hitch gets set into motion when Hitch takes on a junior accountant named Albert Brennaman, played by scene thief Kevin James, who is madly in love with a famous client of his firm, an heiress named Allegra Cole played by super model Amber Valletta. The only problem of course is that Allegra has less than no idea that Albert even exists, and if she did he'd probably never be the kind of guy she'd ever consider talking to let alone date.
Hot on the trail of Allegra is tabloid columnist Sara Melas, played quite well by the ever radiant Eva Mendes. To say that Sara is jaded on the dating world would be a gross understatement, as she dispatches would be suitors with the slavery and precision of a serial killer. A chance romantic encounter with Hitch crossed with Sara's professional pursuit of Allegra provide the comedic set up that fuels the film.
What makes Hitch unique is that much of the film is told from the perspective of Hitch and Albert. You get more of their perspective on the relationships than the women, and both Will Smith and Kevin James are strong enough in the film to make this work.
The DVD
How's it Look:
Hitch is shown in a 2.53:1 aspect ratio; naturally it has been enhanced for widescreen TVs. It also boasts on the box that it's been mastered in high definition; I was a little disappointed with the transfer. In the movie there where several points where an actor would standing in front of a light source, be it a window or even the sky, as the screen seemed to bloom and which was very somewhat distracting.
That issue aside, the rest of the film looks quite decent with good sharpness and colors being accurately displayed.
How's it Sound
Two sound options are included, English 5.1 Dolby Digital surround as well as a two channel French option. The sound in the movie was more than adequate for a film such as this, with dialog crisp and clear throughout the film, and the surrounds used for some decent ambient sounds when required.
Extras:
Not all of the extras are listed on the DVD package, so I was surprised to see a wealth of features on the DVD.
Five short behind the scenes featurettes are included and are all actually entertaining. Ranging from the physical humor of watching Kevin James improvise his dance moves (my personal favorite is the Q-tip) to a discussion on the fashion of Hitch. One feature documents Smith and his attempt at a world record to make 12 separate public appearances in one day.
Two deleted scenes are also included, as well as the first seven minutes of Hitch completely rescored. This selection includes a short voice over from the director explaining the reason for the rescore that ended up as the final product.
A music video for the song "1 Thing" by Amerie is also included, this video does feature some footage from Hitch and may spoil some moments in the film, so you may want to wait until after seeing the movie to watch this.
A fairly extensive blooper reel is also included, with the requisite flubbed lines, missed lines and a large number of bleeps to cover up some more colorful language that slips out of the actors. Also, thirteen previews for upcoming movies and DVDs is also on here.
Closing:
I'll admit, I actually enjoyed myself when watching this movie. Kevin James did a wonderful job as Albert Brennaman, when James was onscreen; he owned it; even when sharing the light with a star such as Smith. Sure Hitch is a sappy romantic comedy, and it will appeal to the set that enjoys those movies more than the male set. But guys, if you are due for a date movie to make up for all the action flicks you've been seeing lately, give this one a shot, you might be surprised. Highly Recommended.
The strongest aspect of Hitch is Will Smith who plays Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens, a former woman-shy geek reinvented into a city wide urban legend - "The Date Doctor". Hitch is known for his inate ability to give any man a shot with any women. What's his secret? He finds ways to create opportunities to enable the real guy inside to shine. Like many 'urban legends' Hitch seems to be enigmatic, always lurking behind the door or around the corner very much like a modern day Cyrano De' Bergerac. Clients find Hitch through referral only, which coupled with his decidedly low profile give Hitch the ability to slip between his Bruce Wayne/Batman or Clark Kent/Superman like alter egos with ease.
The story of Hitch gets set into motion when Hitch takes on a junior accountant named Albert Brennaman, played by scene thief Kevin James, who is madly in love with a famous client of his firm, an heiress named Allegra Cole played by super model Amber Valletta. The only problem of course is that Allegra has less than no idea that Albert even exists, and if she did he'd probably never be the kind of guy she'd ever consider talking to let alone date.
Hot on the trail of Allegra is tabloid columnist Sara Melas, played quite well by the ever radiant Eva Mendes. To say that Sara is jaded on the dating world would be a gross understatement, as she dispatches would be suitors with the slavery and precision of a serial killer. A chance romantic encounter with Hitch crossed with Sara's professional pursuit of Allegra provide the comedic set up that fuels the film.
What makes Hitch unique is that much of the film is told from the perspective of Hitch and Albert. You get more of their perspective on the relationships than the women, and both Will Smith and Kevin James are strong enough in the film to make this work.
The DVD
How's it Look:
Hitch is shown in a 2.53:1 aspect ratio; naturally it has been enhanced for widescreen TVs. It also boasts on the box that it's been mastered in high definition; I was a little disappointed with the transfer. In the movie there where several points where an actor would standing in front of a light source, be it a window or even the sky, as the screen seemed to bloom and which was very somewhat distracting.
That issue aside, the rest of the film looks quite decent with good sharpness and colors being accurately displayed.
How's it Sound
Two sound options are included, English 5.1 Dolby Digital surround as well as a two channel French option. The sound in the movie was more than adequate for a film such as this, with dialog crisp and clear throughout the film, and the surrounds used for some decent ambient sounds when required.
Extras:
Not all of the extras are listed on the DVD package, so I was surprised to see a wealth of features on the DVD.
Five short behind the scenes featurettes are included and are all actually entertaining. Ranging from the physical humor of watching Kevin James improvise his dance moves (my personal favorite is the Q-tip) to a discussion on the fashion of Hitch. One feature documents Smith and his attempt at a world record to make 12 separate public appearances in one day.
Two deleted scenes are also included, as well as the first seven minutes of Hitch completely rescored. This selection includes a short voice over from the director explaining the reason for the rescore that ended up as the final product.
A music video for the song "1 Thing" by Amerie is also included, this video does feature some footage from Hitch and may spoil some moments in the film, so you may want to wait until after seeing the movie to watch this.
A fairly extensive blooper reel is also included, with the requisite flubbed lines, missed lines and a large number of bleeps to cover up some more colorful language that slips out of the actors. Also, thirteen previews for upcoming movies and DVDs is also on here.
Closing:
I'll admit, I actually enjoyed myself when watching this movie. Kevin James did a wonderful job as Albert Brennaman, when James was onscreen; he owned it; even when sharing the light with a star such as Smith. Sure Hitch is a sappy romantic comedy, and it will appeal to the set that enjoys those movies more than the male set. But guys, if you are due for a date movie to make up for all the action flicks you've been seeing lately, give this one a shot, you might be surprised. Highly Recommended.
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