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These are some photos of Reese Witherspoon going into and coming out of the Ed Sullivan Theater last night, where she made an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. I’m not being fair to Reese, using this bitchface’d photo as the header. I like her little bitchface, though. She has a great one, and I suspect that just like me and Jessica Alba, Reese’s default expression is rather surly and unpleasant.
Of course, Reese may have a reason to feel surly. She’s promoting This Means War, which is getting not-so-great reviews (some are just awful, honestly). Industry insiders are also shaking their heads at this film – it was supposed to get a wide release today, but last week the studio pushed it back to Friday. There are still going to be “sneak-peek screenings” tonight in some-odd 2000 theaters though – I guess they’re hoping for a “soft opening” and then a word-of-mouth success? The problem might be that though This Means War is being billed as an entertaining romantic comedy in which Reese plays a fun-loving sexy ditz, the critics say it’s just plain embarrassing. Here’s part of MSNBC’s review, which is one of the first ones to pop up when I googled (you can read the whole thing here):
Some films have certain scenes that need to be redone, but on “This Means War” the whole picture should have been sent back for a reshoot. This perfectly dreadful romantic action comedy manages to embarrass its three eminently attractive leading players in every scene, making this an automatic candidate for whatever raspberries or golden turkeys or other dubious awards may be given in future for the films of 2012. It’s an eye-roller from start to finish, although the promise of a sexy competition between two CIA hunks for the attention of a man-starved honey might attract some misguided souls. Originally set to open on Valentine’s Day, which falls on a Tuesday this year, the Fox release has been hastily rescheduled simply to sneak on Feb. 14 and legitimately bow three days later.
There is more than a hint of kinship between the eventually violent rivalry that develops here when best buds FDR Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) both court the very available Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) and the competitive relationship of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” a fact that might have something to do with the contributions of screenwriter Simon Kinberg to both films (this one was co-written by Timothy Dowling). The more elegant ladykiller FDR and brawnier but less refined Tuck are best mates and at first think they can handle the contest, but when it seems Lauren likes them both equally, the claws come out.
…It gets worse right away, in embarrassing scenes in which the beautiful Lauren runs into an old flame and his fiancee on the street in Los Angeles and pretends she’s off to meet her (nonexistent) boyfriend for lunch, then immediately encounters the couple again when she’s alone at a sushi bar. Surely a composed and confident 30-something professional woman like her would no longer act like a silly teenager in such a situation.
To cure Lauren’s condition, her so-called best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) registers her with an online dating site, which is where she comes to Tuck’s attention. For his part, FDR tries to pick her up in a giant video store (does such a thing still exist?), but Lauren gives him an initial heave-ho after an argument over the relative merits of Hitchcock films — he having recommended “The Lady Vanishes” and she insisting upon the superiority of the director’s later American films.
At the center of things, presumably, is Lauren’s decision of which man to choose. Her confidant is written in to provide a sounding board and goad her into action, but Handler has been photographed to look practically like Lauren’s mom and appears entirely at a loss; the “actress” barely even makes eye contact with Witherspoon and has no sense of creating a character.
The one thing Trish does suggest is for Lauren to give both guys a test drive. But such a move would have pushed the film dangerously into “Jules and Jim” territory, which might have been the one move that could have provided “This Means War” with some genuine edge and interest but also would have made Lauren too loose a woman for a mass consumption movie such as this. No risk, no gain.
The three leads do look awfully good doing very stupid things and all will survive to star another day. The sooner this one recedes into the rear-view mirror the better for all concerned.
[From MSNBC]
Sounds about right – insipid, dumb, poorly written and poorly executed. Plus Chelsea Handler’s ridiculous presence. You could pretty much see all of that from the trailer. I also checked Rotten Tomatoes – the film is currently scored at 41%. Not good, but not the worst. Is this really how Reese wants to stay on top? With these kinds of idiotic career moves? Dear Reese: You are an Oscar-winning actress. Stop trying to be Jennifer Aniston.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Written by Kaiser
Posted in Reese Witherspoon
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74 Responses to “Reese Witherspoon’s film is getting terrible reviews, the release date was pushed back”
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Damn am starting to feel bad for Reese
time for a career reassessment my dear
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She gets an unsympathetic fake crying from me.
Can’t stand her anyway.
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Nope. She gives off vibes of Southern sorority girl superiority and I can’t stand those kinds of women. Ick. She has an Oscar, she should be so lucky.
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Ooops, I should have explained it better: I meant I had no sympathy for her (I was fake crying at the fact her movie has been tracking badly).
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It sucks it’s so bad, I was hoping it would be great! I’m still planning on seeing it, I need a Tom Hardy fix! He’s so hot i’d pay to see him do anything.
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Tom Hardy is meant to be British in this film right? I mean I know he’s British in real life but he’s not playing an American? Can I say then that no British guy is ever ever called Tuck
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I saw the trailer in the cinema, his accent was kind of weird and inbetween-ish. Also on Johnathon Ross show, – I could not hear that damn gorgeous accent!
And yes the trailer looks so god awful.
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Not even Friar Tuck? ;-D
Interesting side note from you. Thanks!
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Friar Tuck – I stand corrected! Reading this on my phone on the bus, laughing and getting very strange looks thanks
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In one of the trailer, when Reese is doing the pros and cons of both FDR and Tuck, she quips, “Tuck’s British.” If that helps answer your question
Tucker is one of my all time favorite names for a little boy. Unfortunately, the hubby has vetoed it for any future use.
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The pushed the movie back when tracking information showed very low interest compared to ‘The Vow’. Even releasing it this weekend, THE VOW will win. Who wants to go watch a movie about a cheating girlfriend and unprofessional FBI agents acting like little boys over her? I would like to believe that Reese, Tom Hardy and chris Pine all signed up before reading the script.
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I saw on one of the trailers that a reason she shouldn’t date him was because he’s British? Urgh ashamed I know that, damn my Tom Hardy lust so I have to pay attention to what he’s in.
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It was yet another money grab that backfired. She didn’t get bad press for her other bomb last year w/Rudd & Nicholson. Reese needs to stop picking scripts soley based on how much she will earn.
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Is her new husband also her agent? Her movie choices have been really off for several years now.
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Why would she even READ a script like that, let aline act in the film. I use the word ”act” loosely. She’s not the IT girl anymore and I think that’s gettting to her. You’ve won an OSCAR, Reese, Jen Aniston hasn’t. Stop trying to be like her!
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She’s starting to look older. Maybe the simple truth is she’s being offered less spectacular material these days. Which is a shame if so because she’s a good actress and doesn’t need to be doing drivel like this.
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But if she’s starting to look older, shouldn’t she be getting LESS crap like this pitched to her? I just don’t get it. It’s not right, she’s capable of so much better, and I’m not even a fan of hers.
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Poor Reese is getting into Meg Ryan/ jump the shark territory. You can only play rom-com engenue for just so long, then you are too old. You have to do other types of roles. Reese has an Oscar – she can do better than this. She has her own production company.
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The thing is, I’m sure you could make a very funny, very romantic movie with the female and the male lead in their 40s, 50s, 60s, it just really can’t rely on the OMG THEY SO HOT KABAANG school of script writing.
Side note: I can’t believe someone chose Witherspoon and agreed to pay her 15m to play a women super agents would kill for. Seriously?
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I don’t see why they keep making terrible rom-coms like this.
Can they really be making that much money for the makers and distributors?
Won’t be seeing this one. The sooner the industry has to feel the financial consequences of terrible films, the better.
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Just thinking to myself that I’m not sure that every movie is supposed or expected to make a ton at the theater. Coming from a married mom of 2 I for one hope they keep making movies like these. My hubby and I are big redboxers. I wonder If DVD rental isn’t “where it’s at” my expectations are never as high and I usually enjoy the fluff.
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I love the term “fluff!” I use it to describe the in-between stuff that’s on TV while I’m waiting for something I want to watch to start.
And as the mom of an extremely active toddler, the last movie I saw in a theatre was the second Transformers movie.
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she is always too serious…not fun…seems uptight…she is okay in quirkier movies like election but yeah she ain’t aniston.
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she was great in LEGALLY BLONDE,ELECTION ,AMERCIAN PSYCHO !
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I love Reese Witherspoon, and I can admit that those were great roles, but you just picked three movies that are all from over ten years ago. I enjoy her movies and I think she is a fantastic actress, but even I can admit that she has a sharp edge to her personality on screen that works well for her in roles like Sweet Home Alabama and Four Christmases.
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But, but TOM HARDY!
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She needs to take a break and wait for a really good script.
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It looks dreadful.
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“Surely a composed and confident 30-something professional woman like her would no longer act like a silly teenager in such a situation.”
Um…I’m a 26 year old professional, and if I ran into an ex-fiance with his gorgeous new woman, I’d probably act like a fool, too.
However, still not watching this movie.
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Same. I’m 31 and married and still act like an idiot when I bump into exes.
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that oscar was a fluke, it will never happen again.
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Yes Yes, somebody finally said it! Thank you lu!
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Disagree, she was amazing in Freeway and Election. Girl has skills.
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F–k this movie and its stupid forever running commercials.
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Yes!
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I don’t feel sorry for Reese. She insists on $15M per movie, and is one of the highest paid actresses in H’wood. Has been for years. Top three or four.
She has her own production company. She has certain “requirements” in all her movies about the way she wants things done. She gets free stuff, perks and her daily allowance, (per diem) and her trailer requirements are ridiculous.
She’s been grinding out formula movies since Legally Blonde was a hit. Never looked back. Probably one of the most undeserving actresses to ever win an Oscar. No one cares anymore. Maybe the people who dole out the tens of milolions to finance her movies will figure it out.
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You better PREACH!!!
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This makes me sad. I don’t really care for Reese but I love Chris Pine and want to see him succeed.
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She needs to ditch her c list acting buddies like Chelsea and Jen and get back with the a list crowd.
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Have you guys seen the trailer!? Of course that looks like a sh*t movie.
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The last few movies she has done have looked like total crap. She better become a bit more discerning with her projects from now on, or she’s headed into Aniston territory.
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i feel like Reese and Jennifer Aniston are too old for these kind of movies where they play ditzy girls. I dont know. I liked Reese the best in Sweet home alabama. Water for Elephants was boring but pretty (though I blame the twilight guy for that because he’s dull)
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Reese is too old for the part. This part should have went a younger actress. Too bad. I too want to see Chris Pine succeed.
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I’m not surprised that it’s getting bad reviews. It looked terrible from the trailers I saw.
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I just saw the trailer and it’s baffling how this even came together. Embarrassing like the review said. Such horrible miscasting. And who in the world is their audience?
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Thank you, glad to know I am not crazy. Reese is at least 5 years older than the male leads and a cute girl not a sex symbol I can imagine Pine and Hardy fighting over. It is preposterous. However green lighted it should be fired.
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Girlfriend needed a paycheck.
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It’s not just Reese’s movie, to be fair. A whole lot of craptacular work was done by many to make this movie so poorly reviewed.
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The only reason I’m not going to watch it is because Chelsea Handler is in it.
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Why is this woman considering such shitty scripts? Is the man she married HER AGENT? (Dun-dun-DUNNNNN!)
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No, he is not her agent. He is a co head for a department at CAA! But remember she stated in an interview that her and her husband “don’t” work together but I can’t imagine that whatsoever!
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I know girls who are avowed Tom Hardy stans and even they won’t be watching this stinker. The closest they’ll get to is redboxing it and ffwd all the parts he ain’t in.
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The ads on TV were just horrible. Really I don’t know why she is picking subpar material – just like Hilary Swank. What next? Partying with dictators?
Isn’t her hubby her manager as well? Looks like she should switch management. It never works to have your relative represent you. I believe Doris Day’s manager was one of her husbands and he ran her career into the ground during the Rock Hudson/James Garner movies. He also mismanaged her money.
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As I put in an earlier reply, he is not her manager/agent!
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I think what InTheIndustry is trying to say is that if she’s making bad career choices, she has no one to blame but herself.
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“Dear Reese: You are an Oscar-winning actress. Stop trying to be Jennifer Aniston.”
This.
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Watched the trailer because of Tom Hardy. I think Reese was miscast, she’s not believable enough as the lady two gorgeous tough guys are fighting over. The leading lady should have been someone strong and sexy, maybe someone like Monica Bellucci (if younger) or even Angelina Jolie (too bad she doesn’t do romcom anymore).
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I also think Reese is so desperate to be the new Meg Ryan
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I think Reese’s star is starting to fade. May be time to go back to school for a degree.
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The move look bad and Reese has gone as for as to pose for the paparizze to sell this movie and it dosen’t look like it will help. I agree with the above statements that she need to take a break and choose her movies wisely.
Reese posting for the pop in grunt of newsstand
http://www.x17online.com/gallery/view_gallery.php?gallery=2012/02/ReeseWitherspoon021012_X17&index
http://www.x17online.com/gallery/view_gallery.php?gallery=2012/02/ReeseWitherspoon021012_X17&index=11
In this pictuer she even made sure the pops got a good look at her buying the magazine her BFF chelsea handler was on.
http://www.x17online.com/gallery/view_gallery.php?gallery=2012/02/ReeseWitherspoon021012_X17&index=56
When did Reese sink so low that she has to pull a D list stunt like this for attention.
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All of a sudden Reese is attempting to sell herself as this hot, young chick?? I dont get it. Im disappointed in her. Just like katheryn Heigel she obviously doesnt understand how she comes off to people. This wont work. Shes a dork! NOT a sex pot!
This role should have gone to someone far more believeable that men would go crazy fighting over and strong….Jess Alba comes to mind. Even Cam Diaz maybe. But, Reese? No, she is cute but not drive you insane HOT.
I feel like shes in a bit of a real mid-life crisis here. I prefered her in quirky intelligent movies.
This nonsense is just embarrasing.
I remember for her bomb How Do You Know? She kept repeating over and over again in every interview “Funny doesnt age. Funny doesnt age.”
Seemed to me her aging was really on her mind and she was attempting to parlay herself into a funny bone rom/com staple.
Go back to what your good at Reese. leave this shit to Anistin and others. Do your dark comedys and your quirky stuff. Your scraping here and its NOT working. Sigh….this reminds me of when Goldie Hawn tried to be all “Meryl Streep”. Gah!
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I don’t doubt it. I saw the trailer and rolled my eyes. What a dumb ass concept for a movie. is it suppose to be a dick flick or a chick flick? IDK, but Reese’s last couple movies were really bad. Water for elephants, she was totally too old to be casted with the twilight guy.
If these are the roles she’s choosing, I’d really hate to see what she’s rejecting. Also I hate her or her handlers pushing her to become some sort of sex symbol. WTF? Um no. I don’t like it when they try to sexploit amazing actresses b/c, well for no good reason except that execs think they can tell the public what we what instead of the other way around, then get pissy when people download crappy movies instead of paying to go see crappy movies.
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Of course Chelsea looks like Reese’s mom. Beyotch looks 60. Reese isn’t looking so fresh these days with those puppet lines but she passes for 40.
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Ordinary and one of the most superficial Colgate teeth smiles in the business.
I cant stand her!
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I think that the problem is that no top tier people are looking to work with Reese. The director or Legally Blonde called her out publicly and refused to work on the sequel, and this guy has worked with Lopez, Heigl and Spacey.It seemed to have gone downhill since, it is almost like people are talking. She has a Oscar, a production company and a couple of hits that she can drag out, you would think that her name would be on the lips of all of the bigwigs in HW for projects. She still believes that she is entitled to those huge checks, yeah the only thing that she is going to get offered is crap. She has an above it all attitude and having no personality does not help matters. Yeah, she is going to have to do some serious evaluating with her career if she does not want to be a tabloid punchline, which she believes that she is not.
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I can now see why Ryan Philippe bolted
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It doesn’t take a genius, to see that this is a commercial film, I’m sure it will not be winning awards but I think it’s the sort of romantic comedy you have to take with a grain of salt, plus there is one reason why I would watch this film for the very sexy Brit, Tom Hardy!!! I can watch him sleep for all I care, I love him he is so sexy to me…
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This movie might have worked with Mila, but it was doomed from the get with Reese. Vodka Handler just piled on to the clusterf#uck.
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I won’t pay a cent to see a film with Handler in it. And looking at the trailer I felt like they took a lot of the scenery from Mr. and Mrs. Smith too.
but my main point is WHY IS REESE THE ONLY ONE PROMOTING THE HELL OUT OF THIS MOVIE. It seems as if Tom and Chris are keeping a long distance. And as it stands everyone is focusing on Reese not the guys. They are going to come out of this just fine. Reese however if this fails is going to be feeling it for some time
I think at some point actor/actresses have to evolve. They have to branch away from the known. Male stars use their Production companies to showcase themselves or other actors. there are loads of women with Production Companies that are not doing them any favors.
Reese does seem to be way more Pap friendly.
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I agree. Erase all scenes with Chelsea Handjob in it and THEN the movie will track better. Chelsea is truly a bad luck charm. Anyone who hangs with her is just doomed. Furthermore, she’s is very, very hard on the eyes.
It’s on record that the actors did day this movie is supposed to remind us of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
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Tom Hardy would be the only reason I would see it. Still won’t go to see it, even he’s not enough. He’s so much better than this movie.Think he decided to do this movie before he signed on to DKR.
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While I agree that this movie looks absolutely wretched and Reese Witherspoon really needs to change her career path, I do not think she is too old for the movie.
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Okay so I saw the movie yesterday and it’s not THAT bad, I mean seriously I’ve seen worse, it was definitely not the comedy of the century but I had a good time, almost fainted every time Tom Hardy appeared on the screen and Chelsea’s character was funny.
Please don’t kill me
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The problem I had with this movie is that I consider Reese too old for either Hardy or Pine. I don’t buy two hot under 30 year old men killing themselves to get at Reese. Seriously who the hell thought up this ridic casting?
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