Killers (2010)

A vacationing woman meets her ideal man, leading to a swift marriage. Back at home, however, their idyllic life is upset when they discover their neighbors could be assassins who have been contracted to kill the couple..

Director:

Robert Luketic

Writers:

Bob DeRosa (screenplay), Ted Griffin (screenplay)

Stars:

Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ashton Kutcher	...	Spencer
Katherine Heigl	...	Jen
Tom Selleck	...	Mr. Kornfeldt
Catherine O'Hara	...	Mrs. Kornfeldt
Katheryn Winnick	...	Vivian
Kevin Sussman	...	Mac Bailey
Lisa Ann Walter	...	Olivia Brooks
Casey Wilson	...	Kristen
Rob Riggle	...	Henry
Martin Mull	...	Holbrook
Alex Borstein	...	Lily Bailey
Usher Raymond	...	Kevin the Manager (as Usher Raymond IV)
LeToya Luckett-Walker	...	Amanda (as LeToya Luckett)
Michael Daniel Cassady	...	Milo
Larry Joe Campbell	...	Pete Denham

Storyline

Spencer Aimes is just your average, undercover, government-hired super-assassin accustomed to a life of exotic European locales, flashy sports cars and even flashier women. But when he meets Jen Kornfeldt, a beautiful, fun-loving computer tech recovering from a bad break-up, he finds true love...and happily trades international intrigue for domestic bliss. Three years later, Spencer and Jen are still enjoying a picture-perfect marriage - that is, until the morning after Spencer's 30th birthday. That's when Spencer and Jen learn he's the target of a multi-million dollar hit. Even worse, the hired killers have been stalking the happy couple for years, and could be anyone: friends, neighbors, the grocery store clerk, even that crabby old guy shuffling across the street. Now Spencer and Jen are on the run for their lives. As their suburban paradise turns into a paranoid game of dodge-the-bullet, they must find out who wants Spencer dead and why, all the while trying to save their marriage...

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Plot Keywords:

male objectification | marriage | neighbor | store clerk | on the run | 

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Taglines:

Big love. Big laughs. Big trouble.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violent action, sexual material and language

Details

Official Sites:

Full Production Notes [MS Word] Katherine Heigl Site - Production Notes

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 June 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Five Killers

Filming Locations:

Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,837,266, 6 June 2010, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$47,059,963

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$98,159,963

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, Aversano Films, Katalyst Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For star Ashton Kutcher, the opportunity to play Spencer Aimes was a welcome opportunity after the box-office success of his movies A Lot Like Love (2005), What Happens in Vegas (2008), and the cult hit Dude, Where's My Car? (2000). He said: "I haven't played a character like this before. I'd been looking for opportunities to move into other genres, specifically action, adventure, things like that. This was a marriage of the two, so it made sense for me to make an action film that had a comedic tone."

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Goofs

When Spencer and Jen pull into the construction site, the tailgate of their truck is dragging behind them. When they leave, the tailgate is gone. But during the chase, just before Spencer crashes the truck through the bags of concrete, you can see it detach from the cable it was dangling from.

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Quotes

Mrs. Kornfeldt: Excuse me, Stewardess? Three chardonnays, please.
Mr. Kornfeldt: None for me, actually. I like to stay awake and alert.
Jen Kornfeldt: None for me, either.
Mrs. Kornfeldt: Okay, so, just the three chardonnays then.

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Connections

References Pollyanna (1960)

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Soundtracks

Barbara Polka
Traditional
Arranged and Performed by Bob Stuhmer
Courtesy of Notable Music

User Reviews

Lower Your Expectations -- It's Not That Bad!

The story of "Killers" is familiar, with a twist. Jen (Katherine Heigl) is vacationing in the very scenic town of Nice with her straight-laced dad (Tom Selleck) and alcoholic mom (Catherine O'Hara). There she meets the suave Spencer (Ashton Kutcher). They fall in love and eventually get married. Little did Jen know though, that three years later, the ghosts of Spencer's old job will come and wreak havoc on their seemingly perfect suburban life.

This is the first movie of Katherine Heigl that I have seen. I know she is in TV's "Gray's Anatomy", but I do not watch that as well. I liked her very much as the geeky beauty Jen in "Killers". She is sexy, funny and bubbly. Ashton Kutcher could never really escape the dumb persona he has built in "That 80s Show" or in "Punk'd." He does try his best here to play an action hero, and I think he passes muster. I think the two of them do have some sort of goof-ball chemistry because of their likable personalities.

The execution of the script is OK. I sort of liked the outlandish plot points and the over-the top comedic violence. I am surprised to see a lot of harsh reviews here. Hey, I am sure you do not watch a film like "Killers" expecting a serious screenplay and award-winning acting. This film is lightweight, silly and adrenaline-driven for the most part, and I think it delivered well on its shallow objectives.