Hot Pursuit

 You may not have noticed this, but 2014 was a pretty impressive year for Reese Witherspoon. I mean, during the Oscars, she was in competition with Rosamund Pike for Best Actress, and the two were both nominated for films that were produced by Witherspoon. Yes, Reese Witherspoon produced “Gone Girl” and “Wild,” the latter of which was under her studio, Pacific Standard. However, “Wild” was proof that Witherspoon was really starting to dedicate herself to the best scripts to work with, and make sure that they are done with the best care...which begs the question, why did she do “Hot Pursuit”?

“Hot Pursuit” tells of Officer Cooper, the daughter of a professional cop, who is put on duty to guard a wealthy mistress, Danielle Riva, to put away a mafia boss for the murders of several people. However, things don't go as planned, and now Cooper has to improvise in getting the mistress to Dallas whatever way possible.

Gonna cut to the chase...this film sucks. It sucks really bad. And it's not just because the jokes are bad in this film, but because the comedy solely relies on the awkwardness of the situation getting a laugh from the audience. But since I didn't find any of it funny, it just made it uncomfortable to watch during the entire run through. The only joke that I smirked at, was when they were explaining how Cooper ruined her father's reputation when she joined the force. That was the closest thing this film got to making me laugh, and it all went downhill from there.

One of the biggest problems I have with this film is the chemistry between Cooper and Riva. All that these two do throughout the film is complain about what they should do, constantly at every passing minute. One's a strict, by the numbers enforcer, and the other is a whiny rich hoe, with no regards for anything. Even when they give out their reasons for being like this, it doesn't make them any less obnoxious. The latter of which perfectly describes Riva, who is without a doubt one of the most irritating, unlikable, and downright detestable characters I have seen on screen. And that's sad, because I like Sofia Vergara in other things, but this film just makes me want to punch her.

The film was directed by Anne Fletcher, the same woman who gave us “The Guilt Trip” back in 2012. I haven't seen that movie, but from what I've heard about, I think it's best for it to stay that way. I don't understand what would promote Reese Witherspoon to produce and star in this film. Maybe she thought the script was good, but then the direction was what ruined it, or it could be that the script was bad and the direction was trying to do the best they could with it...bottom line, the jokes here aren't funny. Let's just hope her next production is a better choice.

Overall, “Hot Pursuit” is just a dull sit through. The jokes aren't funny, the characters aren't likable, the direction and dialogue is awkward as hell, and it didn't have that much reason to be there. The film is currently standing at a 7% on Rotten Tomatoes, and after it bombed hard, I doubt it's life on DVD will last long.

Rating: 1/10