Hitch
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: February 11, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
17
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Immensely likable, and allows Mr. Smith to fulfill his manifest destiny -- as an urbane comedian who is also, shades of Cary Grant, a romantic hero.
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Like most great comedies, Hitch confects a sweetly appealing fantasy. Read full review
75
USA TodayMike Clark
For much of its length, the premise seems less wilted than you'd guess. This is because, for one thing, Mendes gives as good as she gets. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Hitch is 2005's lone legitimate contender for a Valentine's Day movie date. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Smith turns it on with co-star Eva Mendes in a manner that will have George Clooney taking notes. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Smith is an endearing, driving comedic force, one who makes the buoyant Hitch more enjoyable than it has any reason to be. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleCarla Meyer
The less in control Smith and his co- stars Eva Mendes and Kevin James appear, the better Hitch becomes, until it's rather delightful. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
A slick new meta-romantic comedy selling a transparent yet strangely irresistible fantasy of upscale romance among the beautiful but guarded. Read full review
70
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
While far from perfect, Hitch is a rare studio product that earns the goodwill it smugly demands. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
Romantic comedies have become so cannibalistic lately that Hitch stands out for what seem like major innovations by comparison. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Sometimes big-time studio entertainment is done so well, you simply have to salute its corporate effectiveness. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
But with all due respect to Smith, the movie--a performance piece with an unbelievable bare-bones plot--belongs to Kevin James. Read full review
70
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Smith deserves a better romantic comedy than Hitch, but at least he somehow manages to improve the material around him. Read full review
70
Washington PostSean Daly
Hitch works best when it's a buddy comedy, with Smith and James having a blast as smooth Yoda and jiggly Jedi. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
A date film with a hook for men. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Multiple lobotomies. That's the only way to explain what happens in the middle of Hitch, whose first hour sets up one of the brightest romantic comedies in months and whose second hour tears it down. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The premise is intriguing, and for a time it seems that the Date Doctor may indeed know things about women that most men in the movies are not allowed to know, but the third act goes on autopilot just when the Doctor should be in. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
The movie's last two minutes, in which they all do goofy dances and have no dialogue or script to get in their way, is easily the highlight. It's the previous 113 minutes of plot that cause problems. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
James has the forward drive of a trash-compacted Ralph Kramden with some of Ed Norton's random gentility and, here at least, he has a knack for fine-tuned physical comedy that gets you laughing even when the script's not there. Read full review
60
NewsweekDavid Ansen
Andy Tennant's flimsy but generally likeable comedy is tailor-made for Smith's cheerfully suave comic style, and the movie goes out of its way to avoid any hint of sleaziness. Read full review
60
The New York TimesDana Stevens
An average romantic comedy put together with enough professionalism to keep your cynicism momentarily at bay, featuring good-looking actors who also, in this case, seem like pretty nice people. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineAngel Cohn
But when it's funny, it's truly funny and the featured couples all have an easy and believable chemistry. Read full review
60
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
The movie slides into slapstick at times, but it never overpowers the story. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
For all its flaws, Hitch largely comes off as a light romp. Read full review
50
VarietyBrian Lowry
Considerably heavier on romance than comedy, Hitch stitches together relatively few laughs but generates enough goodwill and energy. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Will Smith, taking a break from summer sci-fi smashfests, certainly shows a gift for modulation. Far from coasting, he plays a world expert at romance by ratcheting his charm up and down in supple, exacting degrees. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Will Smith has an easy charm, and this labored romantic farce works it hard. Too hard. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
Buried somewhere in here, about 6 feet deep, is an intriguing premise. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
The film moves in fits and starts, and is way too long, but it may prove memorable, if only for the sweet, marvelously inventive performance of Kevin James. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
The movie, like Hitch, tries to be cool, funny and sweet but falls on its face without generating any real sympathy, smarts or humor. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Along with its try-anything-for-a-yuk screenplay, the worst thing about Hitch is its running time of almost two hours. Did the studio forget to edit this flimsy thing down? Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
To enjoy this film, it helps to check your brain at the box office. Read full review
50
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Yet [Smith] can't keep the movie from stopping cold with another hour left to go. Read full review
50
PremiereAaron Hillis
As the phrase turns, it's better when things come off WITHOUT a hitch. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
An unwieldy, excessively talky affair, unintentionally exhibiting all the clunky stops and starts and self-conscious ramblings of a particularly awkward first date. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleSteve Davis
In the end, while both of these performers look great together, they really don't seem to belong together. And that's the biggest hitch in Hitch. Read full review
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