‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ (2024) Prime Video Series Review - A Reboot Done Right

The pleasures of Doug Liman's Mr. & Mrs. Smith came from the chemistry between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Their sexual attraction, physical beauty, and flirty and fiery tête-à-têtes rendered the film engaging, and exciting. The new Mr. & Mrs. Smith, created by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover, also features terrific chemistry from its leads. Glover and Maya Erskine bring credibility, sensuality, comedy, drama, and energy to the screen. The actors tether us to their characters so tightly that we almost intimately experience whatever they experience in front of our eyes. They take us on a journey, and what a superb journey it is. If I had been one of those people who make lists, I would have put the performances of Glover and Erskine somewhere in the top 5. I would have also put Mr. & Mrs. Smith on my list of this year's best TV series. I loved every second of it!

As John and Jane Smith, Glover, and Erskine make their feelings palpable, so much so that the emotional graph becomes coherent and lucid. The awkward tone and gestures they display in front of each other initially create an atmosphere of nervousness and sensitivity. You can sense that the characters are trying to reach the same frequency. The ice is finally broken with a smile, thanks to that kiss. And it's so pleasing to watch this couple become so comfortable that they, on a train, sing some gibberish. The first episode of Mr. & Mrs. Smith effectively pulls you in, and you are hooked till the end of the series. I took breaks in between but never got remotely disconnected from this world, this story.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith instantly connects you with its rhythms. These rhythms are restless, exciting, and dramatic. You walk - sometimes run - with the characters on the streets. Manhattan, in this series, is not merely used as a background. It is busy, inviting, and lively. When John and Jane, in Episode 1, come out of a restaurant to follow an old woman, you feel the sunshine falling on your skin. When the titular characters, during their day off, walk around a market, you feel as if you are right there in the bustling environment. Every frame is infused with life. Every image is brimming with ecstasy. Everybody clearly had a blast making this series. There is so much love, passion, and excitement in this Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

The show immediately separates itself from the shadow of the 2005 movie. The characters, near the beginning of Episode 1, talk to a machine, not a therapist. The scene smartly tells us everything we need to know about the soon-to-be couple-cum-spies. John is romantic and friendly; Jane has sociopathic tendencies. He is a mama's boy, while she hates her daddy. But these two cannot live without each other. A wave of romantic current passes over the screen when they see one another in a lift. Jane's stress and John's genial nature, among other emotions, come across impressively. Look at him, covered in blood, trying to be artificially warm on a video call with another couple while she watches everything coldly. Also, notice how cheerful the mood becomes when John and Jane bitch about the mentioned couple.

Glover and Sloane subvert our expectations constantly, amusingly. I cannot get into details as that would give rise to spoilers. So, I will provide vague hints. For instance, an episode titled "Infidelity" leads you to believe one thing (related to the title) before turning the tables confidently. It doesn't look like a cheap trick because the show carefully builds up to everything. The writing is fantastic. Every twist is delivered with style as well as substance. I would have liked to know more about the organization that employs Mr. & Mrs. Smith. What are its rules, and how much can they be bent? In one of the episodes, John goes against the orders but is not criticized for it. In another episode, somebody does someone else's job, and again, the company doesn't say anything about it. What exactly are the goals of this spy organization? Who runs it? The answers will likely arrive in a potential second season.

To say that this series is superior to the film would be futile because both versions are wildly different. The screeners came with a letter from Sloane where she mentions how the Internet trolls, after the announcement, commented, "Who needs this show?" Frankly, Sloane and Glover's approach - of putting a fresh, new spin on a watchable film - is much, much better than what is usually done in the realm of remakes and adaptations: Taking classic material and ruining it with a lack of creativity. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is more than just an amazing series. It's a remake/reboot/whatever done right.

Final Score- [9.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All eight episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: February 02, 2024 on Prime Video