David Mirkin, who also directed "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion", another comedy about two unusual women, calls the "Heartbreakers" "even stranger and darker". You might say that. Most guys wouldn't want to mess with "Aliens'" Ripley and the feisty girl who stood up to that guy with the hook. Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt are a force to be reckoned with.

MAX (Sigourney Weaver) and her foxy daughter PAGE (Jennifer Love Hewitt) are the kind of women guys flip for. They are also the kind that take all your cash and hit the road. Max marries rich dudes then gets her daughter to come on to them. When the new hubbies are making out with Page, Max walks in, has grounds for divorce and the girls take the mark for all he's got and move on.

Page wants to split off from mom and set up shop on her own but when the IRS clamps down on the duo's bank account, one more big con is needed. While running their con on sleazy but loaded tobacco tycoon WILLIAM B. TENSY (Gene Hackman), Page meets and falls for apparently poor bartender JACK (Jason Lee). When the Tensy operation goes sour and the bartender turns out to be wealthy, both Page and mom try to do their usual number on him but find pesky morals surfacing as they are forced to examine their own personal feelings and relationship.

"Heartbreakers" is a mixed bag. The pace slows down occasionally and, at a running time of over two hours, a sleeker editing job was in order. Some of the laughs are hilarious but other set-ups are a bit re-hashed and predictable. However, there are twists that surprise and Sigourney and Jennifer are a convincing mom and kid duo. Perhaps one problem is that trailers and other publicity has established up front exactly what the charming duo is up to so we know going in that the first marriage we see is a con. This takes the zip out of watching it unfold. However, after we get to know these women, their relationship and the actresses' charm pull us in.

The ensemble cast is excellent. Gene Hackman is hilarious as a decaying tobacco tycoon with garish clothes, a "hacking" cough and the yellow teeth of a heavy chain smoker. Ray Liotta does his "Goodfellows" Jersey accent again and gets his share of the laughs throughout as an early target of the femme fatales who runs a high class stolen car "chop shop". Anne Bancroft is great as a tough IRS agent with a secret and "Saturday Night Live" veteran Nora Dunn does a great impersonation of housekeeper Mrs. Danvers in the classic film "Rebecca". Jennifer Love fans will love her really "hot" look. The "hottie" image is going full tilt here and Sigourney is no slouch either. The mom/daughter relationship has a warm core that surfaces near the end of the movie in a very satisfying conclusion. Is this film perfect? No, but then there's no perfect con either. "Heartbreakers" is a worthwhile Saturday night romp for you and your gal pals or crush.

HEARTBREAKERS OPENS MARCH 23 This movie is rated "PG-13" Official Website