The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Directed by Patrick Hughes
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Gary Oldman
[rating: 3/5]
Mr Hughes, I’m sorry but I don’t think we can get along. On one hand you certainly have a knack for putting together thrilling chase scenes and orchestrating explosions, but your last cinematic adventures have been the equivalent of a shameful midnight fast food run.
2014 brought us his critically panned but nevertheless enjoyable The Expendables 3, and now we’ve done a quick drive around the block and come straight back for another helping of chips with Hughes’ new action romp The Hitman’s Bodyguard.
We are back in the director’s comfort zone, a world where soldiers and mercenaries roam the streets and guns are in no short supply. This time we follow Michael Bryce (Reynolds), disgraced bodyguard and security expert on his quest to get his client, infamous contract killer Darius Kincaid (Jackson), to a court for an important testimony. That’s no way to fill two hours of screentime though, so Bryce and Kincaid are hounded by mercenaries at every turn, brawling, shooting and most importantly quipping all the way.
The action quickly overtakes the story at a breakneck pace – once Bryce and his client are acquainted there is nary a minute without a murder (or a quip), which keeps viewers on their toes enough to perhaps overlook the shortcomings of the narrative. Those that see right through the violence will however find a lacklustre story about the trial of a ruthless dictator (Oldman), dragging its characters along through predictable but nevertheless pretty set pieces.
Reynolds’ and Jackson’s humorous interactions throughout the film, while occasionally funny and frequently profanity-laden, do little to improve the situation. Rather, these bits of dialogue between rampages are reminiscent of some of the less successful 80’s buddy-cop movies, only with slightly changed roles – many will probably see this as cheesy.
Other aspects of the film are equally underwhelming. The romance between Bryce and his estranged ex feels somewhat shoehorned in and only kept around for a quick laugh. Jackson’s hitman and Reynolds’ bodyguard feel like highly compressed versions of their respective actors’ previous roles combined in one stereotype: Bryce, the smarmy, loveable idiot and Kincaid, the constantly swearing badass feel disappointingly one-dimensional.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a prime example of a popcorn movie – sit down with a huge bucket of the stuff and enjoy two hours of comedic carnage, but don’t go expecting an Oscar-winner.
