Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Stylishly shot and cleverly conceived, this Mr. & Mrs. Smith ultimately works so well because the two leads work together so well. In a show like this, it’s essential that Glover and Erskine have chemistry — and thankfully, they have lots of it. .... we’d be happy to watch John and Jane play spy games for years to come.

A reboot this good is an asset worth holding on to.

Even though the specific circumstances are extreme, the adherence to a grounded tone makes sure that their relationship drama stays honest and relatable — even for those whose own romances feature a lot less literal dynamite.

Though based on the 2005 Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt film about dueling married assassins, the series has a texture and tone all its own, akin to Glover’s surreal dramedy Atlanta. It’s a singular story that’s as sexy as it is mysterious.

Through it all, Glover and Erskine find new ways to mine their dynamic for more vulnerability. Mr. & Mrs. Smith becomes a densely layered character study with this couple at the helm.

“Mr. And Mrs. Smith” ends with an enigmatic tease for more, and it feels like the rare show, well-considered in its surveillance of relationship difficulties, deserving of a second chance at love, or at least making things right.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith doesn’t always embrace its strengths, but when it does, it’s perfectly effective.

The limited runtime hinders its potential (and creates a few overarching pacing issues, particularly around the unfolding romance), but the show makes up for it with a clear-sighted knack for a good time. It keeps its eye on the target, steadies itself, and pulls the trigger. Mission accomplished.

Eventually, MAMS loses momentum and starts looping through samey set pieces, becoming repetitive and padded. But for a fair while it’s entertaining.

The romance between John and Jane is too rushed for us to be swept up in it; when the inevitable betrayal arrives, the questions that obsess them about the authenticity of their relationship are ones we can answer ourselves. But the buildup of mutual resentment feels real, and there’s still poignancy to be mined from a less expected source: the couple’s fate as the pawns of a pitiless institution.

Glover and Erskine will win you over, even the most die-hard fans who still have those two hours of sultry, silly fun from 2005 playing on a loop in their brains. If you can just let go of that cultural touchstone, you’ll find that Glover and Erskine’s turn as the Smiths is something entirely different, and special in its own way.

A couple of lopsided scenes are eminently forgivable, when the series is as brave and bracing as this.

This new take on Mr. & Mrs. Smith is funny and full of surprises, with great chemistry between Glover and Erskine that may lead to some interesting sexual tension as the series goes on.

The show belongs to Glover and Erskine, who play well together, in harmony and dissonance. As ever, he’s an amiable, interesting, low-key presence; his John is the more open of the two. .... Erskine is absolutely wonderful in the part, and one hopes for another season if only to keep that performance going.

The attention to marriage over developing a spycraft plot makes the series feel like it’s wandering a bit, not fully keyed into its own stakes. But it’s also such a relief to watch a TV series that doesn’t strive for film-style plotting stretched over eight hours. There is some bumpiness in pacing and plotting, but Mr. & Mrs. Smith has a finely tuned sense of the world John and Jane are striving for.

There is danger, preparation to face danger and the aftermath of danger. But the series, various episodes of which will include Parker Posey, Paul Dano and Ron Perlman among the more familiar faces, thrives as the story of a relationship.

Glover and Erskine’s alluring rapport is the reason to come to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but it’s also the show’s adhesive. Whenever the drawn-out, episodic missions threaten to drag, the actors snap the series right back into place, keeping this iteration of the Smiths a delightful, darkly funny couple to fall head over heels for.

It may not be as landmark a series as “Atlanta” or as twisted as “Pen15” (Erskine’s previous project), but it’s a remarkably easy watch, a fun piece of comfort food programming that alternates unpredictable mystery-of-the-week plotting with increasingly likable characters.

It cleverly inverts the movie’s premise. It blends the best elements of retro TV and modern TV, and deftly balances the ridiculousness of the core idea with the danger of it. And if Glover and Erskine’s chemistry isn’t so scorching that you assume they must be getting together in real life, they play off each other incredibly well throughout. It’s a whole lot of fun.

Despite all the combat and chase scenes, the pace sometimes drags; episodes that feel flabby at 45 minutes might’ve been more captivating at a half hour. At the same time, there’s something endearing about the story’s shagginess. Mr. & Mrs. Smith may not be a classic like Atlanta, but it can be a whole lot of fun.

With a few extra hours of runtime, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” builds John, Jane and their relationship into something worth caring about. This version may not make as many headlines as its predecessor, but it stands up far better to scrutiny.

Glover and Erskine have zero sexual chemistry. Or maybe that’s deliberate, because they’re in an arranged marriage and are just getting it on for the sake of it. Whatever, they’re always interesting to watch and both have great comic timing. Mr & Mrs Smith is that rare thing: a remake that improves on the original.

If you're a fan of the film and looking for something similar, this really might not be your speed. What Mr & Mrs Smith is, though, is a consistently funny, well-realised version of its core concept, with impressive action, a unique tone and a convincing exploration of its themes.

It is a glorious and moreish treat – and that is even before Parker Posey turns up as a high-risk proposition (in every possible respect). Go, enjoy.

If you’re expecting the movie with Brad and Angie recast, this is not that. It’s turned something light and silly into a show that’s dark, smart, and hard to categorise.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, to its credit, is not like many other spy shows. It’s a thrilling escape from mundanity, yes, but it also tugs on your heartstrings as much as it focuses on its leads beating up the bad guys — if not more so. Putting character first leads to a quick investment in the lives of these two strangers trying to figure out both themselves and each other.

While a little too conventional at times and sputtering in places, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” is far more compelling than your average reboot of an action flick. So long as you’re not expecting more of the same, it’s worth giving this couple a shot.

Glover and Erskine’s chemistry doesn’t possess the red-hot crackle of Pitt and Jolie’s; it’s a slow burn that eventually yields something richer. It’s an on-screen relationship that feels incredibly real, even when the people involved are zipping around Europe firing guns. They’re also funny together.

Glover and Erskine’s fans will have high expectations after the ground they broke on Atlanta and Pen15. This follow up project will prove to be no less enjoyable, even if it is more conventional and vying for a broader, thrill-and-romance seeking audience. The expert crafting of superficial pleasures, plus distinctive chemistry and heartfelt exchanges between its leads helps Mr. & Mrs. Smith hone in on an elusive target.

It’s quite good when it’s good, though it takes some shortcuts with emotional developments that hinder the show in later episodes.

A winky spy show that offers up amusing perspectives on love, marriage, and gender cliches. As a thriller, it’s a relaxed affair, at times almost spoof-like; as a relationship story, it has some virtues, particularly later in the eight-episode season, once the show has found more solid footing.

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith” is a slow-burn series that’s smart and attentive to its characters’ psychological details, but it’s only fun in drips and drabs.

A gorgeously photographed and well-acted but maddeningly vague and weirdly lighthearted and often tone-deaf limited series.

There’s no denying that he and Erskine are a treat to watch. .... “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” smarter than the movie, without question. But we didn’t flock to the original story for a brain teaser. Our assignment was to figure out if the thrill was worth all the trouble it caused. The same question is at the heart of this new marriage, and I’m not sure the answer at the end of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” is worth sticking around to obtain.

Co-creator/star Donald Glover has delivered an Amazon series remake that somehow manages to feel both bold and boring while adhering to the same general log line. The result is arty and ambitious in a way that will likely be enjoyed very much by a very few.

I can see what Glover was trying to do: Subvert expectations and make a series about marriage that also happens to have spies. It could have been profound, but it just doesn't gel into something cohesive.

Together, they’re cute but lack the explosive chemistry of the stars in the original — or for that matter, of Moura and Posey. What they build instead is a home with an intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying sadness at its heart.

The tone is all over the place, ranging from romantic comedy to farce to thriller. Attempts to be edgy go too far, with one ill-advised “kill” certain to alienate some viewers. Show creators Glover and Francesca Sloane (“Atlanta,” FX’s “Fargo”) also return to the same creative well too often to get their characters out of jams.