HIT AND RUN

Well, this is something new - what is usually a fast car/chase/action movie with some quick-witted one-liners has now become a charming quick-witted comedy with fast cars and chase scenes.

Here's the breakdown: Charlie (Dax Shepard) is living in a small Californian town under witness protection. When his girlfriend Annie (Kristen Bell) gets a job in LA, he risks returning in the name of love. Unfortunately, Annie's ex-boyfriend Gil (Michael Rosenbaum) is still suspicious of Charlie and after a little Facebooking, he gets in touch with the people Charlie testified against - and that's when the movie really kicks into gear.

This labour-of-love was written, co-directed and stars Shepard, and while not his first directing effort, it does have a sense of a man who got overexcited with a new toy he could play with any way he wanted. Since Shepard was also the writer, it would make sense to assume that co-directer David Palmer was on board to reel him in; I shudder to think what would have happened without him because even as a sophomore effort this film is still laced with inexperience. The talent is there, it's evident - it just needs maturing which, with luck, will happen.