tastytomatoes

Not many of us would have a relationship as exciting as Mr and Mrs Smiths', but all the little arguments, desire, and resentments on screen or very relatable. It is the dynamics of a marriage materialised as the battle the two assassin couple undertake in the 2-hour runtime. How will they survive each other?

The opening scene sets the dynamic. A couple therapy session with hints of tension.

This film is also Doug Liman at his best - pumped full with action and comedic moments... and absolutely made iconic with the two leads - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Movies often start and end with no real message or purpose told. Mr and Mrs Smith as an allegory of marriage makes for a fun and delicious ride.

7-8/10. Highly rewatchable.

Mesmerising, sombre, contemplative and visually arresting. This is a film to sit back and watch with a great sound system. The story is simple, nothing complex except the inner journey and emotional rollercoaster our protagonist Roy McBridge (Brad Pitt) is going through as he sets off to find is father (Tommy Lee Jones), who disappeared in a deep space mission decades ago. Quite literally, a son following the footsteps of the father.

If you are deciding whether to watch this film, I can tell you this is nothing like The Martian or Gravity but more like Tarkovsky's Solaris, Moon or Sunshine. It's an introspective journey featuring the best performance from Brad Pitt yet (the little facial twitches and reactions).

Do I recommend Ad Astra? Absolutely.

Charlize Theron kicks ass in a role where she wields a centuries-old axe and displays the weight of weariness.

DIRECTION:

The direction is fine; but the sudden use of pop songs within scenes are completely out of place and distracting. The action scenes are sparse given how it tries to be an action drama. The actions themselves are nothing remarkable, offering little intensity like the Bourne movies or enjoyability like the John Wick, MI: Fallout and Atomic Blonde movies.

SCREENPLAY:

The storyline is predictable with no nuances. It explores the idea of life and death at the surface level. The dialogue is mostly in-your-face and unnatural, so are the character motivations. Chiwetel's character is poorly written. Harry Melling's character and performance is a complete caricature and poor excuse of a villain. The scene where Charlize Theron's character interacts with a pharmacy cashier is unnecessarily forced.

ACTING:

Charlize Theron is the highlight for sure and I wish they focused more on her character. Chiwetel Ejiofor is under-utilised. Kiki Layne is fine. Not a fan of Matthias Schoenaerts' acting at all.

MY VERDICT: A couple of cool moments. Watch The Old Guard if the premise intrigues you. If you are a fan of Charlize Theron. If you don't mind a movie with action scenes stitched together by bland dialogue (apart from one love monologue scene).