‘Hot’ New Comedy
An uptight cop (Reese Witherspoon) is assigned to keep a key witness (Sofia Vergara) safe long enough for her to testify. But along the way, they’re pursued by a string of bad guys and crooked cops who seem to want them dead … Or something. Honestly, it’s not really clear in this trailer. The film itself probably will be a lot easier to follow, but the plot seems to take a backseat to serving a showcase for the two leads to do what they each do well: Vergara being outgoing and outrageous, and Witherspoon reprising her no-nonsense Tracy Flick-type character. Hot Pursuit opens in wide release May 8.
‘HOT PURSUIT’ TRAILER REVIEW BY METRO CREW
PAIGE: I feel like I don’t have a lot to say about this movie. I will never watch it. Nothing about it appeals to me.
JAIMIE: Eh, this is probably another one of those movies I will watch on TV but won’t pay to see in theaters.
CHRISTINA: I found this trailer to be pretty confusing. One second it looked like Reese was supposed to save Sofia, but then they are both on the run from the law? And they left her husband behind to be killed? And Reese wants Sofia in jail? What is happening? Or maybe we’re not supposed to care because oh look, these women are in their underwear and pretending to be lesbians, because that’s what any female buddy comedy would do.
PAIGE: I think homoeroticism is a hallmark of the partner team-up — 5,000 erotically charged male pairings come to mind as I say this — but it does seem to be played up for sexy times as opposed to absurdist humor here.
NICOLE: At first, I didn’t like Reese Witherspoon’s character. She’s helpless, and kind of stupid, and totally hopeless. But when they get hit by the trucker, she was so funny (and probably super high because I’m pretty sure that was cocaine).
PAIGE: Whenever I see Reese Witherspoon now, I think of her drunken tirade against that police officer. I used to think she was just an Anne Hathaway-type try-hard, but that incident made me feel like she was more normal, and it strangely endeared her to me.
JAIMIE: I am trying to think of how to best describe how I feel about Reese Witherspoon. I think I will settle on saying that she confuses me. Everything about her should be likable, but I just can’t. I just find her kind of boring.
NICOLE: I am totally a Sofia Vergara fan. I’m kind of glad she plays the same type of character that she does in Modern Family.
PAIGE: I actually have a hard time watching comedies because I never really find them funny. I enjoy, say, The Hangover movies on a clinical level, but I never actually laughed. I found Bridesmaids depressing instead of funny. It is not an exaggeration to say I cry way more easily than I laugh when watching things. So I never pay to watch them in theaters if I can help it, instead preferring to watch them alone so that if I don’t laugh, no one judges me.
CHRISTINA: Paige, I feel like we finally have common ground for movie things: I also rarely find comedies all that funny. A lot of times I know something is supposed to make me laugh, but it just … doesn’t.
JAMES: I like the comic timing between Vergara and Witherspoon. This looks lighthearted and watchable. But I’m with you guys — while I felt positive watching it, I didn’t laugh. I had on more of a tight-lipped, lopsided smile. And my eyelid was twitching with mild-amusement.
