“Hot Pursuit” is one of those comedies that strikes the funny bone every once in a while, but also misses as much as it hits. For example, there is a scene in which Officer Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) and Daniella Riva (Sofía Vergara), the witness she is protecting, hide under a deer head/skin and walk near the edge of the woods to get away. It’s very funny. But when they are trying to escape from a bathroom window while the bad guys try to break in, that humor falls flat. In the category of gross humor, a man shoots his finger off and there is a question whether the dog ate it or not.
The plot has by-the-book Officer Cooper attempting to bring in Riva as a witness against drug warlord Vicente Cortez (Joaquín Cosio), who has killed Riva’s brother. The pair endure hot pursuit from those who don’t want Riva testifying, but there are a few plot and character surprises along the way.
The main character, Officer Cooper, is the daughter of a police officer killed in the line of duty. Her desire to make a difference is a nice theme in the film. Unfortunately for families, the movie contains a lot of language and some raunchy moments, in addition to sexual innuendos. We cannot award it our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.
