They make a cool couple

Mr and Mrs Smith is the kind of cool, funny and energetic action comedy that Hong Kong filmmakers used to produce in their heyday during the 1980s and 1990s.

But with the local film industry suffering from a lack of money and creativity, action buffs need to rely on Hollywood - which is quite adept in churning out explosive action flicks mimicking the likes of director John Woo.

Stuffed with gun-shooting stunts and car chases - in addition to plenty of humour - Mr and Mrs Smith is sure to delight most action fans. It is straightforward entertainment starring two of the most beautiful people on Earth - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Pitt and Jolie play John and Jane, a couple who have hidden from each other the fact that they are assassins.

Years of deceit has caused their marriage to grow stale and it seems only a matter of time before they file for divorce.

However, their relationship is revived after they are assigned to kill each other following a failed mission. The pair team up to ward off their deadly foes.

Director Doug Liman's lively and exciting action sequences are sometimes too vibrant for the average viewer. He has obviously learned a lot from Woo, whose slow-motion techniques are used in the climatical shooting sequence, lending a dance-like quality.

But the strength of the movie lies in the star power of Pitt and Jolie. They avoid the mistake of overacting and instead assume their everyday personas: ultra-cool and sexy celebrities whose good looks - rather than their acting skills - delight viewers.

They look great together and make such a wonderful onscreen couple that the casting director deserves much credit for making the movie work.

The film's major let-down is its increasingly repetitious action sequences towards the end. Despite its well-crafted drama in the first half and the explosive action in the second part, the two hour length is simply too long for escapism.

VERDICT: GO TO THE MOVIES