Hot Pursuit

There is nothing more depressing than sitting in a movie theater watching a comedy in complete silence. Yes, Hot Pursuit is that bad.

Reese Witherspoon stars as Rose Cooper – a San Antonio cop who is ridiculed by her co-workers because of an unfortunate incident that landed her some infamy and an assignment in the evidence room.

However, the overeager police officer is about to get her big break. One of the players in a drug ring is about to enter the witness protection program, and his wife, Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), will be joining him, so, according to policy, a female officer must be part of the team picking up the witnesses to transport them to court.

Of course, the transport is interrupted by all sorts of people with bad intentions, leaving Cooper to bring in Riva all on her own, while being accused of turning into a rogue cop.

Is Cooper up to the test?

Who is trying to get rid of Riva?

I don’t know which is worse. Is it Witherspoon’s overdone Texas accent or Vergara’s overly affected Columbian accent? I have been watching Modern Family since the beginning and Vergara seems to be overdoing it these days at some attempt to draw more comedy out of the script. Listen closely and I think you will agree.

Yet, these are two miniscule problems as you examine the hot mess that is Hot Pursuit.

Writers David Feeney and John Quaintance follow the whole buddy movie formula to perfection, but every ingredient they put into the formula is rotten and spoiled.

First, Witherspoon and Vergara have ZERO chemistry together. It’s hard to believe they are in the same movie let alone the characters are warming up to each other as they face obstacle after obstacle, while sharing a story or two along the way.

Feeney and Quaintance toss in the requisite bonding moments, but these scenes are forced and often come out of nowhere, which is a major problem with the rest of the movie. Hence, problem number 2.

Second, Hot Pursuit has a flimsy script. The audience is stuck watching a whole bunch of empty space in between formulaic plot developments, which are forced into the movie because everyone involved with this dumpster fire wants to follow the formula instead of deciding if each development adds anything of value to Hot Pursuit.

Toss in a love interest because you’re supposed to.

Toss in a betrayal because you’re supposed to.

Toss in a sad story about the hero because you are supposed to.

Third, the last act of the movie is a mess. Quaintance and Feeney, along with director Anne Fletcher, swerve from crazy screwball comedy into a twist that is much too serious and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the film. When did Hot Pursuit suddenly become The Wire?

Not even the ladies can save Hot Pursuit. Witherspoon seems to be in the movie because Melissa McCarthy or Amy Poehler read the script and steered clear of this iceberg.

She is game and trying her best, but this kind of comedy is very difficult to master. Witherspoon is attempting physical comedy like she has never truly trained for it or done it before, and it shows as each scene is strained and uninspired.

Hot Pursuit is a hot mess.

Hot Pursuit is rated PG-13 for sexual content, violence, language and some drug material.