Pacing problems

I’M all up for female empowerment, some of the toughest and bravest people I know are women … but that doesn’t mean that girls have the right to try and usurp the action genre.

This film is an unfavourable mix of Domino and the Bounty Hunter (in reverse) served up on a plate of cliché dialogue and poorly-executed delivery. Honestly, I never thought anything named after an Elvis song could be so awful!
 
The plot revolves around Stephanie Plum (Heigl) who loses her job in a lingerie shop and thanks to the economic downturn can’t afford to pay for her car or her rent. As luck would have it, her cousin Vinnie (sadly, no relation to Joe Peci) offers her a big money job as a bounty hunter.

How could she say no, she needs the money, and so what if she doesn’t have the right skills or training for the job, that didn’t stop Paris Hilton trying her hand at acting!

Anyway, Stephanie is offered $50,000 if she can track down and bring in Joe Morelli (O’Mara), a policeman accused of killing an unarmed man.

Coincidentally, Joe also happens to be the guy who broke up with her in an appalling way back in high school. What better chance for revenge? Well, providing she didn’t still have feelings for him, that is.
 
Since Stephanie is a rookie bounty hunter, she luckily gets some mentorship from Ranger (Sunjata). He’s a nice chap really, but kind of a reckless idiot because he takes it upon himself to buy her a gun (again, she has no permit, training or proper experience handling a firearm).

Predictably, as Stephanie gets closer and closer to bringing in her man and that big cash reward, old feelings reemerge and some new ones begin to blossom.

 There have been several films that are female-centric and prove that anything men can do, women can do just as well, if not better. However, this is not one of them.

Colombiana was a great action film with a female lead (Zoe Saldana) that could rival Jason Statham any day of the week. Heigl just doesn’t have the balls necessary to play this role well. It’s a bit like casting Selina Gomez as the lead in a Mike Tyson biopic.

Admittedly, this film is more of a rom-com than an action flick but it still didn’t sit well with me. The plot is more transparent that my hatred for Matt Damon.

 Heigl is an adequate rom-com actress, she’s no Sandra Bullock but most of the time she gets the job done. However, in my opinion, she was terrible in this movie, which may not be entirely her fault. Director Julie Anne Robinson falls short when it comes to pacing the film appropriately and, to me, it seemed drawn out.

As for the male lead … O’Mara is more known for his serious dramatic roles which he handles with flair. I got the impression he had fun making this film and breaking away from his niche but the script wasn’t written to suit him.

I’m sure he could do well as the gruff but endearing boyfriend in almost any rom-com with a decent, well-paced script, but this wasn’t it.

Next year on my birthday, when I’m blowing out the candles I’m going to wish that Heigl stops making movies … you’re welcome.

Showing in Cineco, Al Jazeera Cineplex, Saar Cineplex and Seef I