Review of The Tourist (2010) by Michael V — 14 Nov 2011

For what sounds like a fantastic plot on paper, the execution of it all leaves a little something to be desired. Perhaps the problem is with expectations. The premise and two actors who typically take on fairly meaty roles suggests that The Tourist would at least have hints of substance, instead the audience is left with a beautiful and fun movie that is essentially action fluff.

It feels like this movie suffers from just having problems before it even started shooting. Both leads were last minute replacements and went through many director's hands before finally settling.

Though it's not all bad. Jolie and Depp meshed well together. Seeing Timothy Dalton again is a treat. And there is beauty everywhere. The visuals are simply stunning, whether that describes the beautiful European vistas or the lead actors, there is definitely eye candy everywhere.

The action scenes are exciting and even the dialogue has some charm. Plus I rather enjoyed the twist since it pretty much used my film knowledge against me by making an actor who generally plays the bad guy turn out to be the innocent guy.

Kudos. Nothing wonderful. Nothing horrible. But it works to cure a bored night.