Hit & Run [MA]

Charlie Bronson is a former bank robber now living a quiet life under the witness protection program with his girlfriend Annie. The relationship is getting serious and when Annie gets offered a job in Los Angeles, Charlie willingly leaves the safety of the program to go with her. But Annie’s nosey ex-boyfriend who does not trust Charlie in the slightest learns of their uprooting, discovers Charlie’s real identity and alerts Charlie’s former accomplice whom Charlie testified against and is now out for payback. With these dangerous criminals and Charlie’s witness protection guardian on their tail, the drive to LA digs up some home truths about Charlie’s past, which soon begins to put strain on his and Annie’s relationship. 

I didn’t really know what this movie was about, I just saw that it had Bradley Cooper in it and was on board from there because he’s just so smouldering. Am I right ladies? What, on the surface, appears to be a high-powered and comic road chase is actually much more when you see that the romantic story is actually equally as strong and actually provides more of the comic relief. It’s by no means an action/comedy of great cinematic achievement, but it’s definitely worth watching for something else. I quite enjoyed it. 

Charlie Bronson is a former bank robber now living a quiet life under the witness protection program with his girlfriend Annie. The relationship is getting serious and when Annie gets offered a job in Los Angeles, Charlie willingly leaves the safety of the program to go with her. But Annie’s nosey ex-boyfriend who does not trust Charlie in the slightest learns of their uprooting, discovers Charlie’s real identity and alerts Charlie’s former accomplice whom Charlie testified against and is now out for payback. With these dangerous criminals and Charlie’s witness protection guardian on their tail, the drive to LA digs up some home truths about Charlie’s past, which soon begins to put strain on his and Annie’s relationship. 

I think what I really liked about this movie was the fact that it is actually more of a romantic comedy, but one that is not girly or feminine or mushy in any way. It’s set against a wholly unromantic backdrop: being chased by criminals and former accomplices, lots of car chases, burning rubber, and violence, but all the drama and comedy that it boasts is actually in the script and in the relationship of the two leads. 

The script is actually rather witty and filled with great messages about social, racial, and political correctness, the dual meanings of words and how, if used in the wrong way, they can marginalise, stereotype, and ostracise people, and off course, romantically, there are very strong messages about combating the difficulties of relationships, particularly one that is only blossoming. The writing is actually quite clever and the fact that it’s this great romance story set against an action background with one of the world’s most funnily ironic soundtracks makes Hit & Run quite a surprising film. 

My only bugbear is that there was not enough Bradley Cooper for me to admire! Disappointed on that front. 

Starring Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Tom Arnold, Kristen Chenoweth, Michael Rosenbaum, Joy Bryant, David Koechner, Ryan Hansen, Beau Bridges, and featuring a surprise popup from Jason Bateman, Hit & Run is a great film filled with action, car chases, romance, drama, social, racial and political barriers, violence, and plenty of comedy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.