When I heard Amazon was remaking the 2005 action-comedy Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I invariably rolled my eyes at the prospect of another unimaginative remake shaped by present-day politics and proclivities. However, the latest series from Prime Studios, co-created by Donald Glover, shares little more than its title with the original from the early 2000s.
In the opening scene, a couple is fleetingly introduced, trying to flee just as a Range Rover pulls up to their hideout cabin, only for its occupants to gun them down as the presumed husband and wife exchange their final glances. Suffice it to say, it sets the mood for a tone far darker than the upbeat “Brangelina” inspiration.
After the grim overture concludes, we are promptly introduced to our titular antiheroes. Recently rejected by the CIA over her psychiatric evaluation, Jane (Maya Erskine) finds few employment options capable of satisfying her voracious appetite for risk. While McKinsey consultants may specialize in terminations and reducing headcounts, they generally don’t get firearms for the job. On the other hand, John (Donald Glover) was discharged from the Marines due to his asthma. Equally unqualified for most conventional job postings, John is intrigued by an unsolicited email offering an exciting opportunity with a mysterious firm.
In Amazon’s assassin-suffused world, much of the lore remains shrouded in secrecy. Apart from “Hihi,” the enigmatic figure who recruits John and Jane from behind a veil of screen-bound anonymity, the company’s inner workings remain undisclosed. The company dispatches the Smiths on a variety of assignments, from intercepting packages and gathering intelligence to executing hits. Details about the company’s HR practices are scarce, though it operates on a “three-strike” policy for mission failures.
Following a questionnaire tantamount to eHarmony for hired guns, the system pairs Jane and John up, and thus, we have our Mr. and Mrs. Smith. While they don’t exhibit the marriage-destroying (to the unfortunate calamity of Jennifer Aniston) sexual tension that defined Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s portrayal in the original, Erskine and Glover exhibit an endearing, wholesome chemistry more fitting for this series.
In contrast to the almost unblemished supermodels of the 2005 film, who could make Navy SEALs appear as limp and untrained laymen, this universe’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith are portrayed as ambitious yet unrefined rejects. Jane is emotionally aloof yet exhibits brilliant analytical skills and sharpness. Her counterpart, John, contrasts this with his warm and genial nature, though he lacks her razor-sharp wit. In essence, they complement each other.
In contrast to the 2005 version, in which the Smiths seemed like a Gen Xer’s interpretation of young professionals, complete with a home in the suburbs and a station wagon in the driveway, the Amazon remake authentically captures today’s millennials in the workforce. Recruited and interviewed solely via computer, matched through a system reminiscent of a dating service, and sent to reside in a Brooklyn brownstone under the guise of software developers from San Francisco, John and Jane in the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith epitomize what assassins in today’s economy would look like.
Alongside the flashy, action-thriller narrative, there lies a much more wholesome story about marriage. John and Jane, though previously strangers, once recruited, are immediately thrust into marriage and must learn to navigate the complexities and challenges of maintaining a relationship in extraordinary circumstances. The relationship is central, with the action serving to test and strengthen it. At its core, Mr. and Mrs. Smith suggests that marriage, with all its ups and downs, can be a source of strength, even in a world filled with deception and danger.
Many of their missions mirror the trials of marriage: Some are straightforward, others rely on the strengths of one or the other, and some seem destined to fail. Their employer, “Hihi,” after one mission goes awry, tests their bond, privately messaging Jane and asking if she is open to “replacing” her John (she isn’t).
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Themes such as marriage, fidelity, and family are unlikely virtues to feature prominently in a story about contract killers, especially one made today. Yet, it is these common values that keep Jane and John together through the tumultuous period of employment.
Spanning eight episodes, the series keeps you captivated and eager to learn not only more about its broader spy world but also the fate of its unlikely central couple. There are a plethora of relationship shows and action thrillers available across streaming platforms. But if you’re looking to shoot two birds at once, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is your best bet.
Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a computer engineer in Toronto pursuing his MBA.