The Film
Bradley Cooper has the billion-dollar Hangover franchise and People's 2011 "Sexiest Man Alive" title under his belt. He's also currently garnering Oscar buzz for his performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Apparently, he can do whatever he wants these days -- and what he wants to do is star in a film alongside Tom Arnold.
Arnold is the comic relief in Hit & Run, an ode to '70s car chase flicks and its star Kristen Bell. It makes sense, since the film was written and co-directed by Bell's co-star and real-life squeeze, Dax Shepard.
Shepard plays Charlie Bronson, which is a fake name -- and not just in the movie sense. He's in the witness protection program, which he decides to completely toss out the window in order to get girlfriend Annie (Bell) to Los Angeles for a new job.
Yeah, it's not exactly "we're on a mission from God," but during those travels, there's a good amount of craziness and some good car chases.
That's not to say it's a good movie, but Hit & Run has its moments. Cooper, in particular, is very reminiscent of Gary Oldman's True Romance character, all the way down to the hairstyle. He's not nearly as scary, but it doesn't matter. He's got a gun and a posse, which includes the underrated Joy Bryant, Shepherd's on-screen love interest on TV's Parenthood. Of course, that doesn't seem like it was the only favor that Shepard called in, since the cast also includes Kristin Chenoweth, Beau Bridges, Ryan Hansen, Michael Rosenbaum, Sean Hayes, David Koechner and Jason Bateman.
Chasing after a longer review of this film? Check out David Kempler's theatrical review of Hit & Run.
The Picture
Hit & Run may be reminiscent of some of those '70s car chases, but this 2.40:1 transfer sure doesn't look dated. It's a sharp little movie with bright colors and a lot of sunkissed skintones. The shine on the cars and the wisps of Kristen Bell's hair flickering in the wind are all evident here. Blu-ray buyers will be pleased.
The Sound
Hells yeah! This release's DTS-HD Master Audio track puts the pedal to the metal and pretty much keeps it there for the film's 101-minute runtime. Not every second is filled with screeching car sounds or the film's '70s-fueled soundtrack, but enough of it is. It's an excellent little track for this film.
The Extras
Considering how much time, effort and money Dax Shepard put into this movie, it's surprising that the extras are so skimpy. The most obvious ommission is a commentary track. Otherwise, there are 12 deleted scenes and a trio of 2-minute featurettes.
Final Thoughts
Hit & Run has a fun little Blu-ray, but it should have been a better movie. The gags aren't half as funny as the film wants them to be, which is its main problem. It's unfortunate that the movie couldn't focus more on the cast and the cars, because Hit & Run drags in some spots -- and not in a good way. That said, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than watching this one, and writer/star Dax Shepard can thank his famous friends for that.
Product Details
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