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	...	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 | sexual reference | growing a mustache | man murders a woman | woman hits a man | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Selleck's character Mr. Kornfeldt refers to himself as having been a pilot. In the earlier cinema movie, High Road to China (1983), Selleck portrayed a World War One ace fighter-pilot called Patrick O'Malley.

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Goofs

When Spencer points the Glock at the head of his friend after the fight and the friend is taped to the chair and after they get done talking about the dog you hear the sound of a hammer being cocked. There is no external hammer on a Glock pistol so it cannot be thumb-cocked.

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Quotes

Spencer Aimes: We've been married for three years and we've never been more than five minutes away from your parents. They're always coming over and your dad's all... all... Well, uh, this is how the Kornfeldt's load the dishwasher. And, mow the lawn clockwise 'cause that's the Kornfeldt way. Take this piece of coal, stick it up your kiester, squeeze it real tight like we do, and you'll and make a Kornfeldt diamond.

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Connections

References To Catch a Thief (1955)

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Soundtracks

Orleans (Instrumental Version)
Written by Jon Fugler and Mike Bryant
Performed by Yuki
Courtesy of Fools Paradise
By Arrangement with Steel Synch

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.

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

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