'Hitch' is a light and painless date movie that even guys can handle

"Hitch. Is that a noun or a verb?" teases gossip columnist Sara (Eva Mendes) as Hitch (Will Smith) puts his oh-so-confident moves on her. It's a good question because Hitch is more than a nickname, it's his job: helping hopeless guys make good first impressions on the women of their dreams.

MOVIE REVIEW

HITCH

DIRECTOR: Andy Tennant

CAST: Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta

RUNNING TIME: 119 minutes

RATING: PG-13 for language and some strong sexual references

WHERE: Alderwood 7, Cinema 17, Columbia City, Crossroads 8, East Valley 13, Everett 9, Factoria, Galleria 11, Issaquah 9, Kirkland Parkplace 6, Longston Place 14, Majestic Bay, Marysville Cinema 14, Meridian 16, Metro, Mountlake 9, Oak Tree, Parkway Plaza 12, Redmond Town Center, Woodinville 12

GRADE: B-

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To call Hitch a conundrum would be to give the film's daytime talk-show level of psychology too much credit. Once a fumbling romantic dud, Hitch remade himself as a smooth lady's man who glides from one romantic ride to another. But behind that secret identity is a romantic Robin Hood, a professional date coach to the decent frog princes of Manhattan longing for a kiss from their fairy princesses.

Hitch isn't cynical, he's merely a wounded romantic, and his lessons are admirable: be attentive and respectful and honest ... most of the time. "She wants to see the real you," he reminds his students, "just maybe not all at once."

Hitch's latest challenge is a jittery, asthmatic accountant (Kevin James of "The King of Queens") hopelessly smitten with a jet-setting heiress (supermodel Amber Valletta). With his barrel of a build and puppy dog face, James turns himself into a grown-up version of a klutzy, lovesick teen who summons up the courage to ask out the poised, perfect prom queen, and stumbles on the walk over.

"Hitch" is a date film with a hook for men. The complications have less to do with the sinister potential of Hitch's services (the film takes pains to remind us of his idealism every few minutes -- we don't even see money change hands!) than the absurd complications of romantic farce spiked with a modicum of slapstick. As Hitch's flirtations with the defiantly single Sara puts a chink in his poise, his antics comes off like teen movie gags softened for an adult romantic comedy audience.

Smith carries it off with his effortless charm and confidence, whether he's chatting up a woman, conspiring with the audience, or instructing a client, and director Andy Tennant gives it a light gloss and an easy lilt. They help distract us from the inconsistencies and contrivances of a script that otherwise offers no surprises on its inevitable collision with a happy ending.

Sean Axmaker is a movie reviewer and freelance film writer based in Seattle. He can be reached via e-mail at seanax@hotmail.com.