‘Hit & Run’ is a likable film despite its genre identity crisis

Perhaps all you need to know about the new film "Hit & Run" is that Pete Townshend’s still-popular love song "Let My Love Open the Door" closes the movie.

Yeah, it’s that kind of film. It’s a romantic comedy. It’s a fun-loving summertime flick. It’s … a full-blown action movie?

"Hit & Run" is many things — so much so that it suffers from multiple personality disorder. Yes, it’s a romantic comedy starring real-life couple Dax Shepard (who also wrote and co-directed) and Kristen Bell. It’s also a heist movie, picking up the narrative after the heist-gone-wrong and dealing with the troubled aftermath. And mostly it’s a car-chase movie with multiple high-speed scenes that show off the muscle of cars instead of men.

‘HIT & RUN’ Rated: PG-13 Now playing

And that’s no unfair criticism. Shepard will be the first to call "Hit & Run" a car chase movie. Cars are among the "Parenthood" actor’s greatest passions, having grown up in Detroit, and they’re lovingly featured here — from the feminine, soft-edged chase that starts things off to the more aggressive, machismo-fueled scenes that follow.

The rom-com/car chase back-and-forth doesn’t always work, but a fun story and affable cast keep things moving fluidly.

Shepard plays Charlie Bronson, a getaway driver who ratted out his pals in exchange for a comfortable witness-protection spot. His girlfriend Annie (played by Shepard’s fiancée Bell) knows of the witness-protection limitations that won’t let him back in Los Angeles, but she’s not familiar with the extent of his crimes — and burned bridges.

Their perfect love story — which comes off very naturally on film, we’ll admit — hits a snag when Annie is offered a dream job that would use her doctorate in nonviolent conflict resolution. The position is in Los Angeles, and Charlie does what any selfless lover would do by risking his life for a quick drive into the city to see if the job is right for her.

The situation worsens when Charlie’s clumsy pal and U.S. Marshal case officer (Tom Arnold) finds out he has fled and follows. And then Annie’s deluded, possessive ex-boyfriend (Michael Rosenbaum) gets angry, and even, by researching Charlie’s real name and history and contacting his former accomplices with Charlie’s whereabouts.

It’s worth noting that Shepard might as well have studied at the Luke Wilson School of Acting — what with his aw-shucks second-guessing and his vaguely Southern charm. It’s not a negative comment, but his character here is strikingly similar to his work on the popular NBC dramedy "Parenthood."

The first 45 minutes of "Hit & Run" play off that same polished brand of dramedy, and the cutesy interplay between Shepard and Bell — alongside scenes of Arnold expertly acting a fool — are intensely enjoyable. (To his credit, Arnold has rarely been funnier than he is as this bumbling lawman.) When "Hit & Run" turns into an action film, it loses some of that charm.

That’s not to say this film is stupid in any way. The dialogue is easy and honest, and the story keeps your interest. As a writer, Shepard includes a couple of clever traps that pay off in the end. The best of which is Charlie’s tendency to resort to violence — to protect himself and Annie in life-threatening situations. Having studied nonviolent conflict resolution, Annie doesn’t support that at all — and the conversations that happen as a result are both endearing and philosophically rewarding.