Iffy for 13+
Bland spy romcom mines violence, stereotypes for laughs.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this dull romantic comedy finds humor in the violence associated with being an undercover assassin. Characters shoot, stab, and strangle each other throughout the movie, which doesn’t shy away from showing the bloody consequences. The movie’s premise rests on the idea that a man hasn’t been completely honest with his wife about a big part of his former life, but that’s not explored. (Neither is the idea of killing as a profession.) There’s some swearing (including "f--k" and s--t"), but nothing over the top, plus several sexual innuendoes. One character drinks excessively (and she’s actually the funniest of them all).
- Families can talk about how this movie portrays coupledom and marriage. Is it realistic? Can you imagine getting into a serious relationship while keeping a big secret? Do movies need to be realistic to be good?
- What do you think about Jen's character? Is her relationship with her parents healthy? Is she too dependent? Do you know women like Jen? Does this movie reinforce or challenge stereotypes about women?
- What do you think about the violence in the movie? How does humor affect the way violence plays out in a movie or on TV? What would be the real consequences of some of the violence seen in the movie?
The good stuff
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Messages: Killers is a strange concoction: Murder is played for laughs, but since the film’s not very funny, how does that leave the body count then? Jen is such a caricature of a weak, immature woman, that she would be offensive if the movie weren't overall so lame. Still, the movie does attempt to explore the idea of honesty in a marriage, and its importance to making a relationship successful.
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Role models: In a strange way, Spencer, the professional killer, appears most sympathetic of all the characters, perhaps because he appears genuinely interested in reforming himself. Jen, on the other hand, comes across pleasantly, if a bit superficial. Her focus after finding out that her husband is an assassin is on how she was misled, not that her husband is a killer. Plus, her squealing and generally immature behavior puts her squarely in female stereotype-land.
What to watch for
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Violence: Consider the title: For a rom-com, Killers is laden with bone-crunching fistfights and guns-ablaze sequences (and their fairly bloody aftermaths). The lead character is an assassin, after all, and off the bat, he’s shown at his “job.” One character gets impaled by a chandelier (her remains are briefly visible); another’s car is skewered by metal rods at a construction site while he’s still in it (we don’t see his body).
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Sex: Lots of sexual innuendoes; Heigl’s character is seen in her underwear. She and her husband flirt and kiss often. An older woman shows off her cleavage to a younger married man. Frank discussion of a married woman’s sex life.
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Language: Not excessive, but “s--t” and “f--k” do pop up.
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Consumerism: Logos for Ford, Ferrari, Maalox, and other products clearly visible.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some social drinking, plus one character who’s clearly a lush (and her drinking is played for laughs). Nearly every time she’s onscreen, she’s fixing herself a sizable cocktail. Another character passes out from knocking back too many drinks on her first date with a guy who, curiously, finds the whole debacle charming (only in the movies.). A few guests get drunk at a party, and one of them leaves the hosts wondering if he’s able to drive (though they let him go).
Fan Reviews provided by
3
Poorly developed story... by lovestalentmoviefan
...makes this painful to watch.I have seen both Heigl and Kutcher act pretty well,but here,they simply had a non-dimensional script.Nothing happens after they get married.No story,no relationship...just the killings. Selleck,who is always on point with what he is given,had a good part,but all the interest came in the last 10 minutes,with absolutely nothing to give it any credibility. Seriously,it is like they thought up the ending when they got to it. O'hara is capable of so much more. I can't believe any of them took this job. Very disappointing. Pretty clean(except for constant focus on Heigls bust),so I don't give it a NO,but seriously,as an intriguing and funny movie....I DO NOT recommend Killers.
2
Can't think of anything that worked by birac
Very elementary dialogue.Wooden delivery of just about all that elementary dialogue. Zero chemistry between Heigl and Kutcher. Underused O'hara and Selleck. No plot,just a bunch of random assassins. Silly,last minute conclusion that just sort of was revealed with no cohesiveness. I am so disappointed,the previews were good,but misleading.And I thought with that great cast they couldn't go wrong. Well-I was wrong. ONLY SEE ON CABLE OR SOMEWHERE THAT YOU PAY NOTHING.
3
Silly Movie by suemarie
This movie started out so good. The lead actors are good at a meet-cute in the beginning. But with bullets flying and car chases and explosions happening with no cops, no bystanders, it gets just plain silly. They even revisit the scene of a huge fight involving a garage door, among other damages and there is no one there investigating? This is a suburb with no nosey neighbors.
Anyway, it's just OK for anybody with a couple hours to kill.
4
Great Movie! by oxsmile4youxo
I loved this movie! Even my boyfriend who HATES chick flicks enjoyed this movie. he laughed out loud often. Not a bad choice in a date night movie at all :) we loved it!
2
Basically by stevenlourie
If you want to go see a completely ridiculous movie, with a ridiculous plot, and cheesy acting, just so you can laugh at how awful it is and make yourself feel better, this is the movie for you. For anyone else, I would not recommend it. There are a few minorly funny parts and a couple decent action scenes, but the whole premise of the movie is ridiculous. The movie takes place over about 5 years of time. The issue, the movie never tells you when you've jumped in time. In one scene, they're just meeting, then they're getting married, then they've been married 3 years, then they have a kid, and it's really confusing because the movie doesn't say anything like "three years later." And as I said before, the plot really is lacking, but there were some parts where I laughed at how bad it was, so I guess that's alright, if you're looking for that kind of thing.
3
Killers by janny622
Some parts funny, but lost interest during the middle. Ending was satisfactory.
5
Killers by guv123
Brilliantly funny, wacky, well-acted movie. The whole audience of varying ages was laughing out loud. The cinematography was excellent, the four main characters were totally believable and the writing was spot on.
This movie will appeal to Aston Kutcher fans - preferably teenagers and over 40 adults.
Anyone who doesn't think this is a funny movie does not appreciate wry humor. It was wonderful to see a comedy/thriller that left you with a good feeling!
2
Killers by willie boy
All that is good about this movie is in the trailers. The acting is forced, has very little laugh moments. There were times when i was yarning and looking at my watch, this is the kind of movie this is. It only tells you the reason for the voilence of the movie in the last five minutes of the movie. All in all, wait for it to come out on video.
4
Killers by show gal
I thought this movie was light-hearted, kind of silly; but entertaining. I would recommend it.