The Hitman’s Bodyguard stars Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds in a pretty formulaic buddy-buddy action movie. At just under two hours long – a tad on the lengthy side – it is, nonetheless, an enjoyable waste of a couple of hours.
Reynolds is Michael Bryce, a bodyguard who is at the top of his profession. He has a beautiful girlfriend, Amelia Roussel – an underused and underwritten Elodie Yung, better known for her turn as Elektra in the Netflix Daredevil series – who is also an Interpol agent. Michael’s business is ruined when a high profile client is killed moments before he successfully completes the protection detail.
Two years later Michael, his reputation in tatters and his relationship over, is doing smaller lower profile jobs – a cameo from Richard E. Grant as a nervous, pill popping lawyer, is suitably amusing as Reynolds’ Michael tries to maintain the previously high standard of service that saw him rise to the top of his profession, even as his demeanour betrays the fact that he could not care less about the job.
Elsewhere, back in the past, we see the President/Dictator of Belarus, Vladislav Dukhovich – Gary Oldman covering the bills with one of his stock-in-trade villain performances – killing some poor teacher’s wife and child, because he had the temerity to speak out against the oppressive regime. Back in the present, the same teacher is in the Hauge, giving evidence against Dukhovich as he is tried as a war criminal.
The evidence, unfortunately, is not sufficient as there is no physical proof. Samuel L. Jackson is Darius Kincaid, a clinical Assassin whom Interpol have in their possession. He has the necessary evidence needed to put Dukhovich away, but will only testify if his wife – an extremely fiery and foul-mouthed Salma Hayek – is released and cleared of all charges.
With a deal in place, rookie field agent Roussel is tasked with escorting Kincaid to the Hauge trial. When the security motorcade is ambushed by Dukhovich’s men, Roussel realises that Interpol has been compromised and reluctantly calls her ex-boyfriend, Bryce.
Initially, Bryce refuses to help, but when Roussel tells him she can get his life back on track, he agrees to help. He has reservations once more when he finds out it is Kincaid, a man who has tried to kill him multiple times.
As mentioned above, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an enjoyable film that springs absolutely no surprises whatsoever. Jackson is on cranked-up-to-eleven, full muthafucka spitting form, playing a hitman who happens to have a supreme talent for killing, a talent that has got him handsomely paid, whilst embracing all of life’s riches, good and bad. Reynolds’ good guy caught in a bad situation face is in full effect also.
When the two leads are together on screen the film sparkles, with them playing perfectly off of one another. Every other aspect of the film is as one would expect. There is gun play, fighting, a villainous master plan, a villainous rant, really weak female characters – even though there are quite a few prominent female roles – and chase scenes. An action comedy by numbers.
As I alluded to earlier, the film is on the long side at just under two hours. There are several chase scenes that would have been better served by a more ruthless editor, especially one Bond-esque waterway scene. There was also a surprising amount of CGI, with a lot of the leads scenes noticeably studio shot.
Having recently been spoilt by the glorious cinematography and colour in Dunkirk and Atomic Blonde, the visuals of The Hitman’s Bodyguard were comparatively lacklustre, even looking fuzzy at times.
Minor film geekery aside, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an entertaining romp, with enough pace to not flag too much and the stars doing what the best ones do, raising a mediocre film to a good one.
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