If you discount the Ocean’s trilogy, which were more breezy heist capers than mega budget action epics, then Brad Pitt has really only starred in two standard studio blockbusters during his entire career, which is incredible to think about when you consider the two-time Academy Award winner has remained one of the biggest stars on the planet for over a quarter of a century and counting.
Next year’s high concept Bullet Train will mark his third, but the previous pair were both designed with franchises in mind that never ended up happening. World War Z overcame a tortured production to become the highest-grossing zombie movie ever made after netting $540 million, but that second installment looks dead in the water.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith was another hit that earned $487 million and led to much sequel chatter, but these days Doug Liman’s frothy actioner is arguably best remembered for bringing Pitt and Angelina Jolie together, such is the forgettable nature of the plot and inherently disposable nature of the movie as a whole.
That’s not to say Mr. & Mrs. Smith isn’t entertaining, because there’s a lot of fun to be had watching the A-listers bounce off each other with their undeniable and unofficial at the time chemistry, but everything else feels as though it’s been set to autopilot. Starry genre films are all the rage on Netflix, though, as evidenced by the Pitt/Jolie combo rocketing 50 places on the most-watched list to currently reside in thirteenth, as per FlixPatrol.
Published: Oct 5, 2021 03:49 am