Butler-Aniston Action Rom-Com Flops With Critics But Finds New Life
Despite terrible reviews and zero chemistry between its A-list stars, this 2010 action-romance hybrid defied expectations at the box office and is now climbing streaming charts again.
When Hollywood paired Gerard Butler's action credentials with Jennifer Aniston's romantic comedy appeal in 2010, the combination seemed foolproof. Director Andy Tennant, who had success with romantic hits like Sweet Home Alabama, was brought in to blend their star power into what studios hoped would be a blockbuster action-romance hybrid.
The result was anything but magical.
A Recipe That Didn't Work
The Bounty Hunter cast Butler as Milo Boyd, a washed-up ex-cop turned bounty hunter who gets the assignment of his dreams: tracking down his bail-jumping ex-wife Nicole, played by Aniston. What should have been easy money turns complicated when Nicole bolts to pursue a murder investigation, setting off a cat-and-mouse game between the former couple.
The film's official description promised escalating stakes: "The former spouses play an escalating game of one-upmanship, until they suddenly find themselves on the run for their lives."
Critics weren't buying it. The movie managed just a 13% score from professional reviewers, with many pointing to the complete lack of spark between the leads. Audiences were slightly more generous, giving it 51% approval, but that still left the film in decidedly mixed territory.
Commercial Success Despite Critical Failure
Reviews called the film "an actionized rom-com that isn't action packed, contains no believable romance, and isn't particularly funny." Others used words like "poor," "amateurish," and "inferior to so many similar movies" to describe the final product.
Yet The Bounty Hunter managed to turn its $40 mn production budget into $136 mn worldwide. The timing helped. Opening against family-friendly Diary of a Wimpy Kid meant little direct competition for the adult audience the film was targeting.
The movie followed a familiar pattern seen in 2008's Fool's Gold, another action-romance that paired A-list stars with lukewarm results. Both films struggled with the same fundamental problem: leads who couldn't convince audiences they had any real connection.
Finding New Audiences
Sixteen years later, The Bounty Hunter has discovered a second life on HBO Max, where it's currently climbing the platform's Top 10 most-watched list. Maybe it works better as background viewing than as a theatrical experience.
Both stars have moved on to more successful projects. Butler found his groove in the action thriller space with franchises like Olympus Has Fallen and recent projects like Greenland 2. Aniston continued her rom-com dominance while also branching into prestige television.
For fans of either star, The Bounty Hunter might offer some entertainment value. Just don't expect the chemistry that made their other films memorable.