Butler continues string of bad romantic comedies with 'Bounty Hunter' Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler in "The Bounty Hunter" (Columbia Pictures) ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 
 
 Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) is an obnoxious bounty hunter who used to be married to Nicole Hurley (Jennifer Aniston), an ambitious newspaper reporter. When a warrant is issued for her arrest, it's Milo's good fortune to get the assignment. It seems that, in addition to possessing a gun, he also carries a torch. MORE REVIEWS 
 
 
 
 Not that he'd admit it. Hating Nicole — or at least pretending to — has become part of Milo's personality. So why does it take them so long to get to a police station? That's an easy one: It's a movie. 
 
 
 
 It's also terrible. 
 
 
 
 "The Bounty Hunter" starts with a decent concept, but finds little of interest to do with it. Instead, it simply meanders, offering lame jokes and predictable situations along the way. It's as if the filmmakers thought that just watching Butler and Aniston scream at each other for almost two hours would be more than enough to satisfy the masses. 
 
 
 
 Working from a screenplay by Sarah Thorp ("Twisted"), director Andy Tennant ("Fool's Gold") proceeds at a sluggish pace, giving us a film that's as depressing as it is clichéd. 
 
 
 
 Aniston, who turned in impressive performances in "The Good Girl" and "Friends with Money," resorts to sitcom shtick. Butler successfully defends his title as champion of bad romantic comedies — if you liked "P.S. I Love You," you'll love this. 
 
 
 
 Christine Baranski, who plays Diane Lockhart on "The Good Wife," actually scores a few laughs as Nicole's fun-loving mom. But as the reporter's smitten co-worker, Jason Sudeikis of "Saturday Night Live" demonstrates that he's not ready for the big screen. 
 
 
 
 "The Bounty Hunter" is merely more proof that some filmmakers are more interested in duping audiences than in entertaining them. Perhaps tracking down the folks responsible for this film should be Milo's next assignment. 
 
 Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) is an obnoxious bounty hunter who used to be married to Nicole Hurley (Jennifer Aniston), an ambitious newspaper reporter. When a warrant is issued for her arrest, it's Milo's good fortune to get the assignment. It seems that, in addition to possessing a gun, he also carries a torch.Not that he'd admit it. Hating Nicole — or at least pretending to — has become part of Milo's personality. So why does it take them so long to get to a police station? That's an easy one: It's a movie.It's also terrible."The Bounty Hunter" starts with a decent concept, but finds little of interest to do with it. Instead, it simply meanders, offering lame jokes and predictable situations along the way. It's as if the filmmakers thought that just watching Butler and Aniston scream at each other for almost two hours would be more than enough to satisfy the masses.Working from a screenplay by Sarah Thorp ("Twisted"), director Andy Tennant ("Fool's Gold") proceeds at a sluggish pace, giving us a film that's as depressing as it is clichéd.Aniston, who turned in impressive performances in "The Good Girl" and "Friends with Money," resorts to sitcom shtick. Butler successfully defends his title as champion of bad romantic comedies — if you liked "P.S. I Love You," you'll love this.Christine Baranski, who plays Diane Lockhart on "The Good Wife," actually scores a few laughs as Nicole's fun-loving mom. But as the reporter's smitten co-worker, Jason Sudeikis of "Saturday Night Live" demonstrates that he's not ready for the big screen."The Bounty Hunter" is merely more proof that some filmmakers are more interested in duping audiences than in entertaining them. Perhaps tracking down the folks responsible for this film should be Milo's next assignment. | | 
 
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 Enlarge By Barry Wetcher, Columbia Pictures Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler share little chemistry in The Bounty Hunter. ABOUT THE MOVIE ABOUT THE MOVIE The Bounty Hunter 
 
 * (out ouf four) 
 
 Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Jason Sudeikis, Jeff Garlin, Cathy Moriarty 
 
 Director: Andy Tennant 
 
 Distributor: Columbia Pictures 
 
 Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including suggestive comments, language and some violence 
 
 Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes 
 
 Opens today nationwide Just whose idea of fun is it to watch two ex-spouses verbally slam each other? But that's what The Bounty Hunter has rustled up — along with a listless rom-com, a feeble thriller and a supporting cast of clueless characters. Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston are embroiled in a contentious round of "ex games." The overriding feeling watching these two obnoxious souls is that they deserve each other. We never find out what drew them to each other or tore them apart, or even what they still see in each other, so it's tough to care about whether they'll reunite. Worse, Aniston and Butler can't seem to muster any believable chemistry. A lot of mugging happens, but no magic. Butler plays Milo Boyd, a bounty hunter and former cop who gets an assignment to round up his ex-wife, Nicole Hurly (Aniston), who failed to show up in court for a minor infraction. Suddenly, she's a wanted woman. It's a forced conceit, and so are the exasperating efforts Milo makes to ensnare Nicole. He chases her, throws her over his shoulder and locks her in his trunk. She's supposed to be a feisty and dedicated investigative reporter, but mostly she runs around in short skirts and high heels. Ultra-broad attempts at comedy consistently fall flat as the two doggedly try to outsmart and hoodwink each other, amid knowing smirks and smug grins. Director Andy Tennant's last effort was Fool's Gold(2008), another chemistry-free romantic comedy, starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. At least there, when you got bored of the formulaic story, you could gaze out to sea. Here, endless stretches of Jersey highway would make even Bruce Springsteen long for a rest stop. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more
– Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston star as a bounty hunter and his wanted ex-wife in action romance Bounty Hunter. Critic's reactions range from "passable" to "somebody needs to hunt down the people who made this movie." An OK concept gets lost in "lame jokes and predictable situations," complains Calvin Wilson at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "It's as if the filmmakers thought that just watching Butler and Aniston scream at each other almost two hours would be more than enough to satisfy the masses." "Aniston and Butler can't seem to muster any believable chemistry" between their equally obnoxious characters, writes Claudia Puig at USA Today. "A lot of mugging happens, but no magic." Roger Moore at the Orlando Sentinel deems it "watchable." Aniston "doesn’t bring her old A-game to this, he writes. "But at least she’s not quiet and reserved and no-energy, her approach to too many roles of late." Director Andy Tennant aimed to make "this yawn about flirty ex-spouses ciphering the twin puzzles of their failed marriage and an unsolved murder" a modern version of '30s comic thriller The Thin Man, but he and his "desperately unfunny" script fall well short of the mark, Carrie Rickey writes at the Philadelphia Inquirer.