Killers (Lionsgate, 100 minutes, PG-13) was slaughtered by critics over the summer, and the flick ended up a box-office misfire in the process.  The movie comes out on Blu-ray this week, and since I didn’t catch it during its theatrical run, I was curious to see if the Katherine Heigl/Ashton Kutcher adventure/romance was given a fair shake.  The hidden identity plotline, coupled with lovers shooting guns in suburbia, suggested a cross between True Lies and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, so my guess was the Killers would be at least mildly engaging.

Although the leads lack chemistry and the kill or be killed plotline doesn’t jump off until 40 minutes into the film, Killers is not the pile of poop that was dropped on critics’ laps. If you dig Katherine Heigl’s films and truly bemoan her abrupt sendoff on last season’s Grey’s Anatomy, or if you follow Ashton Kutcher on Twitter and find him just plain likable (I’ll admit it, I loved The Guardian), then Killers will not be a waste of your time.  Though flawed, the picture has enough good points to warrant a viewing.

“Jen” (Heigl) is on vacation with her parents (Tom Selleck, Catherine O’Hara) in Nice, where meets the man of her dreams, “Spencer” (Kutcher) in an elevator. Their witty first date dinner banter suggest happily ever after is in their future, and after a night on the town “Spencer” reveals to his new love that he is an assassin (to his knowledge, he only kills bad people at the command of his boss, played effectively by Martin Mull). Unfortunately, a drunk “Jen” is snoozing during his confession, and three years later, when they are the poster kids for the perfect married couple, “Spencer’s” secret still lingers.  But perfect marriages really don’t exist, and “Spencer” learns someone has put a $20 million contract out on his life.  His suburban bliss turns into a nightmare when several of his co-workers and neighbors try to take him out, and he has to kill a few of his “friends” just to make it through the day.  “Jen” is obviously a bit shocked to hear the news, and learning that she is pregnant during all of the killing definitely adds to her neurosis.

Robert Luketic brings a rather light and breezy touch to his movies (Legally Blonde, Win A Date With Tad Hamilton, Monster-in-Law, 21, The Ugly Truth); he would have been perfect years ago directing a Rock Hudson/Doris Day vehicle.  Heigl and Kutcher don’t come close to having that kind of connection, but they bring the requisite energy and charm to the proceedings.   O’Hara pretty much steals every scene she’s in as “Jen’s” alcoholic and clueless mother, and Selleck also does solid supporting work as her overprotective dad. Rob Riggle, hilarious in The Hangover and The Other Guys, shows off his action chops (Riggle is also a Marine) during a pretty intense action sequence with Kutcher, and even Usher has a nice little cameo in the picture.  Also of note - Sideways composer Rolfe Kent provides the film’s score.

I’m slightly disappointed with the Special Features on the Blu-ray, as a commentary from director Robert Luketic addressing the harsh critical reception of the picture would have been welcome.  Plus, hearing Heigl or Kutcher give their take on why the movie flopped would have been great as well, especially since Killers has actually been given a bit of a bad rap.  The disc does come with an 11-minute featurette, and there’s a really good deleted scene between Kutcher and Mull as they argue over killing their latest target (who is bound and gagged in a trunk).  The special features also include extended scenes not featured in the movie as well as alternative scenes.  Upon viewing an “alternate scene” which features a different take on “Jen” and “Spence’s” dinner date in Nice, I partially strike my comment regarding their chemistry problems.  A little passion and heat from the leads surfaced in the “alternate” sequence, and Luketic should have used this scene in the picture.  There’s also a pretty cool feature under “Lionsgate Live” that lets you download Killers wallpapers and ringtones to your phone, but again I would have preferred commentary over a few pretty pictures and a ring a ding ding on my iPhone.  Final Call:  Killers is a fun movie, and has a few good action scenes thrown in with some funny jokes.  The critics used this movie as their punching bag, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving Killers a fighting chance.

-Greg Srisavasdi