Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Stars' chemistry can't save uninspiring, cliché comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Hot Pursuit
What's the Story?
A drug lord is up for trial, and Officer Cooper (Reese Witherspoon), who rarely sees any action outside the evidence room, is finally invited to join the big time when she's asked to guard mobster's wife Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), who's entering the witness protection program and testifying against the cartel. But soon he's gunned down, along with the U.S. marshal assigned to protect him, leaving Cooper as the sole cop guarding Riva's life. As it turns out, allies don't appear to be allies, and enemies aren't easily identified. Against their wishes, the two women will have to rely on each other to survive.
Is It Any Good?
Though Witherspoon and Vergara have enough charisma to power through any calamity -- and the kind of rapport that's crucial to a buddy comedy -- they simply can't save it from being boring. The script holds no originality or surprises; in fact, it's so uninspired that it's almost offensive: Do we really still need period jokes? And is a woman's inability to get a date still to be attributed to her square-ness? Props for trying, but ho-hum. Witherspoon and Vergara deserve better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
This is a female-driven buddy comedy. Is there anything different about the dynamic between the two women compared to how men's "bromances" tend to be portrayed in other films?
Families can talk about whether Hot Pursuit plays into issues related to body image and stereotyping. Is it OK for the two main characters to point out each other's perceived flaws because they're both women? What if a man was doing it? What's the ultimate message to viewers?
What role does violence play in the story? Do the gunfights and car crashes have less impact because the movie is a comedy?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 8, 2015
- On DVD or streaming : August 11, 2015
- Cast : Sofia Vergara , Reese Witherspoon , Michael Mosley
- Director : Anne Fletcher
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 87 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content, violence, language and some drug material
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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