Hit & Run (2012)

Very Cool!!!

So much average

Sadly Over-hyped

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

From my summary line above, you could probably tell that I didn't think that "Hit and Run" was a movie to actively seek out. But in the circumstances that I watched it - a dull day where I had nothing else better to do - I did find it an acceptable way to pass the time. It does have some faults, mainly with the script. I thought that the story was somewhat stretched out; there was no way the movie had to spend so much time setting things up as well as executing some major plot turns, especially since the story did have some predictable touches. But while the story is stretched out, it all the same wasn't boring or possessing any particularly stupid stuff. Also, the level of comedy, while seldom laugh-out-loud funny, was competent enough to give the movie a pleasant mood as well as give viewers a smile on their lips. I'll probably forget all of what I saw in the movie during the next few weeks... but I will remember it engaged me well enough while I was watching it.

Hit and Run (2012): Dir: David Palmer, Dax Shepard / Cast: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Kristin Chenoweth: Car chase farce about relationship and facing one's past. Dax Shepard plays an ex-criminal who is on the witness protection program because he rode the getaway car to several bank robberies. His girlfriend is played by Kristen Bell who accepts a job in L.A but that means that Shepard must enter dangerous territory. She will learn much about her boyfriend on a long chase that is big on action but not so great on common sense. Bradley Cooper plays a former partner in crime who spent a rather uncomfortable stay in prison and seeks revenge. This results in several chase scenes that also includes Bell's possessive ex-boyfriend, gay cops, and a witness protection cop, played to great scene stealing hilarity by Tom Arnold. His van goes through a process that includes a bowling ball through the windshield, and brakes that frequently fail to work resulting in Arnold's hysteric outbursts. Kristin Chenoweth plays Bell's supervisor who sets her up for an interview with the University of California. Unlike the bicycle chaser Premium Rush, this contains little plot and becomes more or less a series of vulgar conversations mixed with car chases and crashes. The one saving grace is the actors who have great chemistry and pull off performances that are comically above the wreck of a screenplay. Directed by David Palmer and Dax Shepard who are backed by over the top wreckage that sometimes works but the end result is less a hit and more a run of stupidity. Score: 5 / 10

Hit & Run is a wild ride that never should have worked, but surprisingly it does. The story doesn't appear to be deep or complicated, and just when you think they've come to the end, a whole other angle begins. The film is further helped by a large cast and a whole bunch of interesting cameos, that help take it to another level. Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard) is happy living in a small town with his girlfriend, Annie (Kristen Bell), but things are about to change. When Annie gets offered a job in L.A., Bronson must decide whether or not to go with her, which also means leaving the safety of the witness protection program. When a jealous ex learns of the plan, he finds out who Charlie really is, and thanks to Facebook, connects with the men he's hiding from, making the trip to L.A. a dash for safety, across California. Dax Shepard is not an actor I find to be very funny, but this was the first time I've seen him play a character as deep as Charlie Bronson, and he was terrific. He is being perused by Bradley Cooper of all people, who I did not see as someone who could play the bad guy. His good looks and charming personality, don't exactly lead one to believe he'd be believable as a bad guy, and while he wasn't the toughest bad guy I've ever seen, he does more than an adequate job. Hit & Run isn't an award winning film, it may not even be all that memorable, but it is extremely entertaining and an edge of your seat thriller ride. The perfect film for those who want to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

I enjoyed this film. Not just because I am a fan of Kristen Bell, though that is part of it. I often like quirky films, and this film has plenty of quirk, thanks to writer and co-director Dax Shepard, who was Kristen's boyfriend during filming, now her husband.Hit & Run is an action comedy. Look at the poster for the movie, with the small photos of the actors and the huge image of a car. That is a clue. Expect lots of cars and car chases, mixed with humor. Think Smoky & The Bandit.One reviewer panned the film because, he said, it's "PC". On the contrary, some viewers may not enjoy the film because Shephard's sense of humor is very non-PC, riffing on some subjects that may make some uncomfortable. Me, I found it funny.A great cast contributes to the chicanery, including Bradley Cooper and Kristen Chenoweth. Tom Arnold plays a U.S. Marshall who is an accident waiting to happen--and the wait is very short. I found his performance to be distracting.Eventually, most of the cast participates in a multi-car chase that--you can tell-was choreographed by a real car lover. Motorheads will appreciate that aspect of the film.I will score this film a modest "6" and hope that Shephard writes another script that is just as big on quirk, but maybe a little more focused.