Starring: Will Smith (I), Eva Mendes, Kevin James (III)

7 out of 10 stars:

Do you have problems experiencing simple pleasures? No? Good, then go see Hitch.

A romantic comedy that manages to successfully work within the limits of its formula, the latest Will Smith PR campaign stokes an escapist fantasy where living in Manhattan is super-easy, and almost as natural as falling in love with a person of a higher social standing than you. Maybe this is my parallel-universe-self writing here, but nothing in this film -- the heterosexual Americana suggested by the trailer, the reality of Hollywood mechanics running at full bore, Smith breaking the fourth wall in the first five minutes -- would dissuade my attraction to it (which, if you need to know, has a lot to do with Kevin James). So imagine what a dream date it was to spend two hours with James as he gradually bellies up to his fantasy woman, while Smith, stepping away from the spotlight so it shines on the TV star, does all he can to convince Eva Mendes that they should pair up and nest. Ultimately, the pleasure derived from watching Smith and Mendes wriggle away from the film's ethnic stereotypes is equal to James's ability to be funny, and not just fat. The way in which they all make it look so effortless might be partially due to Andy Tennant's casual direction, which could simply be called a point-and-shoot blockbuster technique.

As the poster suggests, Smith is Hitch -- Alex Hitchens, to be exact -- a "date doctor" whose specialty is helping good men attract good women. Working by referral only, Hitch has a secret society of devotees across New York City, which has also turned him into something of an urban myth. But he's all too real for his latest patron, Alfred Brennaman (James), an accountant who is desperately in love with his firm's top client, socialite Allegra Cole (Amber Valleta). Chubby, shy, and prone to messy stains, Alfred is nevertheless determined that he's the perfect match for Allegra, and vice versa.

Enter gossip columnist Sara Melas (Mendes), who, aside from having a professional obsession with Ms. Cole, is also one of the many people who have heard of the mysterioso with a knack for hooking people up. As Sara tracks Allegra's every move, looking to scoop her competition, she also has, thanks to Kevin Bisch's patchy-but-agreeable script, this weird fixation with convincing her best friend that there's no such thing as the date doctor. Though it's plain to see that what Sara really doesn't believe in is the possibility of love.

So you have your asteroid (Sara, because she's volatile but also partly made of ice) and you have Earth (Hitch, because no one will admit that he's heading for trouble), and they are being hurtled toward one another with blinders on over their masks. Sara's tracking of Allegra and Hitch's shaping of Albert both require stealthy maneuvering, so game faces are on when they meet in the first act. And it's a fiery exchange, full of the maneuvering and suave that makes me smile when I am in straight bars. Guards are let down in the second act, which can only mean the third and final chapter will usher in complications and drama, as both Sara and Hitch are playas to an extent, and they're both certainly emotional cowards.

Despite Hitch and Sara dominating most of the screentime, they voluntarily climb into the backseat when James appears, and he assumes control early on, thanks to his earnestness and pretty mouth. The former first grabs Allegra's attention, but it's the latter attribute that gets her to jingle her keys outside her front door -- an unequivocal sex invite (to quote Cher Horowitz from Clueless), and proof that a lady is ready to invite you in, according to Hitch. Whenever he's with her, hitting the clubs, sitting courtside at the Knicks game, and making nice with her queer best friend, Hitch is an exercise in well-modulated romantic comedy. And when Smith and Mendes ruminate on seduction and modern relationships, there's some of what people who overthink everything might call meta commentary.

But I have a rule: no real-life scenarios means no real-life thinking. And Hitch offers diversions I haven't enjoyed in a movie of its kind in quite some time.