JANE SMITH (Angelina Jolie) has pretty good grounds for a divorce from her husband, John (Brad Pitt). It's not just that he's cold, spends very little with her and doesn't share her taste in home furnishing. Just the other day he fired a rocket launcher at her head.

Not that Mrs Smith is completely innocent. She's shot her husband in the chest and has blown up a lift shaft he was travelling in.

The seriousness of the couple's differences owe much to their professions. They are both hired assassins.

But in five years of marriage they have managed to keep it quiet from each other. That is until their latest assignments require them to despatch their partners.

Director Doug Liman (Go, The Bourne Identity) brings his usual slick dynamism to proceedings but the film's hot ticket status owes much to A-list pairing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who became a couple off screen during filming.

The pair look great in the action sequences, but also have a chemistry that makes the most of the sharp screenplay of prodigal scriptwriter Simon Kinberg (xXx: State Of The Union). At one point, Jolie tells Pitt with arched eyebrow that she missed him last night. We know she did. We saw her shot whistle just past his ear.

If you give the film any thought the whole set up is preposterous. Best just to go along with the excitement. No matter how far the thrill has gone from the Smiths' relationship, its remoteness doesn't warrant firing a machine gun around a sofa you know your wife is hiding behind.

Still there are plenty of nice touches. When the reunited Smiths are involved in a final Butch-Cassidy-And-The-Sundance-Kid-like shoot-out with hundreds of secret service men. It takes place in a DIY superstore the weekend mecca for many married couples.

Long-time Liman collaborator Vince Vaughn is a nicely frenetic foil to Pitt and Jolie's more glacial charm.

All in all Mr And Mrs Smith weds comedy with action as well as any release this year.

Mark Edwards