The other day I got to see an early preview of the movie, Hit & Run, starring Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. (TW: mentions of derogatory terms and rape)
I first became aware of this movie because I think it was in the trailers for when I went to see Prometheus. That was the last rated R movie I saw, and I can’t imagine it being a trailer for Madagascar 3… So when I received the email to go see it, I said sure, why not. I remember laughing in the trailer.
Overall, I think I liked this movie. I’m still conflicted by a couple of things within it, which I’ll briefly touch on. I try not to be (too) spoilery and sometimes I can’t even properly put it into words, so you’ll see me ending the sentence awkwardly.
Positives:
- Bell and Shepard’s characters together as a couple. (side note: If you were ever curious about how Shepard and Bell work as a couple, I’d see this movie.) I think they have a wonderful rapport with each other and found them charming. It might help that I know they’re engaged in real life, but I found the love and feelings between them believable. [I also enjoyed watching the camera work around their height difference]
- The driving (?) comedy, especially with Tom Arnold’s character.
- Driving stunts! I don’t know what turning in a circle does while you’re in a high speed chase but it sure does look cool.
- Shallow Positive 1: Michael Rosenbaum with hair. Does that weird anyone else out? It’s weird not seeing him bald. Oh he works out and is shirtless.
- Shallow Positive 2: Pretty cars!
- Shallow Positive 3: Bell’s clothes.
I can’t tell if this was suppose to be a joke or not, but it’s something I really enjoyed that when Bell’s character asked Shepard’s what was wrong, he’d actually answer. Ok, he might shut down for a second but he’d eventually tell her he was feeling embarrassed/ashamed/whatever the emotion was and they’d discuss it.
There was also a moment when he used the word gay as a derogatory term, and she called him out on it. Her character was a sociology professor that had gotten her degree in Non-Violent Confrontations, if I recall correctly. I’m sure he said he’d stop, and I’m positive he actually would stop, to mostly please her and maybe because he saw the error of his ways.
Negatives:
- It seems even more noticeable to me since this controversy around Daniel Tosh is going on, but this movie does mentioned rape and uses it as a joke. It’s mentioned 3 times (and I’m curious if they’ll ADR some of it out). The first time —I don’t know what her character does but she’s Bell’s boss—mentions it casually with part of her college days at state school of black out drinking, and that’s the only line I remember before she mentions date rape, in that list, as she casually pops a Xanax. The second time could any other term could have been used (basically if it attracts other ducks, is it a duck?). The third was one character encountering it in jail. (I’m pretty sure it’s in a trailer) It’s not a one off thing either, he mentions it multiple times while another character is shocked and sympathetic (?). Then, some racial stereotyping goes on, so so not good, and yea.
Overall I don’t think these three scenes last over 20 minutes total, but it did linger with me and taint my enjoyment of the movie.
- When Bradley Cooper’s character teaches this muscley guy that owns a dog about the error of his ways of buying cheap dog food. Oh man. I get that it was trying to show us that Cooper’s character isn’t all Malibu’s Most Wanted, and that he is a tough guy, but uhm…yea. I kind of forgot about this part in the whole of the movie, but the reason I bring it up, is because I remember watching in the movie and thinking, “Oh I can see that not being good.” If you haven’t guessed he uses violence and if it would have been the punch in the face, I don’t think I would have thought too hard about it, but it’s not a punch in the face.
- Which, by the way, Bradley Cooper with blonde dreadlocks is not a good look.
Bell and Shepard’s characters and their relationship was a huge positive for me, but I can understand if the first negative bullet point ruins/doesn’t make you want to see the movie. I saw it for free and forgot what the movie was about except the driving aspect and because that was on the poster.
