‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ – Review
Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson jump head first into 2017’s craziest action-comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard which is over-the-top cinema at its best!
Executive protection agent Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) had it all….until it was all taken away from him. Now eeking out a living as a meagre ‘bodyguard’ Bryce finds himself caught up in protecting his nefarious mortal enemy, and wise cracking hitman Darius Kincaid () for Interpol, who is on his way to testify against ruthless dictator () at The Hague. But when everything goes to hell Bryce and Kincaid are forced into a wild and unpredictable road trip that will test them to their core. They might just save the day….unless they kill each other first.
If you love in-your-face and over-the-top action then you’re in for a treat with The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Director Patrick Hughes throws audiences into a 1980s buddy-movie throwback that comes with a whole lot of crazy and a lot more swearing. While today’s audiences are used to a more streamlined comic books style of action filmmaking, Hughes throws all of that out here. His action is heavily choreographed and arrives from out of nowhere, which as an audience member completely takes you by surprise. But this is not just action for action’s sake, and every moment of the film has a bigger piece to play in the film’s overall narrative.
And then there’s the perfect duopoly of Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson as mortal enemies turned unexpected allies. But neither of these cats are heroes. Reynolds is ambitious and incredibly egotistical as Bryce, while Jackson’s Kincaid….well Kincaid is just one badass motherfucker who doesn’t give a shit. But put these two together and you have the recipe for one hell of a fun time in the cinema. The Hitman’s Bodyguard takes the structure of the traditional buddy-cop genre and throws it out the window, as these two, well, they really hate each other. And this never ending battle to not kill one another, and instead, kill the bad guys makes for a movie that is really fun to watch.
But while there’s all kinds of crazy going on, Hughes also uses his characters for a unique analysis of the themes of hero and villain. While Reynold’s Bryce would normally be treated as the typical hero, except his job is to protect an unholy host of scumbags and criminals. Kincaid, on the other hand, is the all around bad guy, except he makes his living killing even worse guys for a living. Hughes ability to play with the morality of his characters and make his audiences question the nature of hero and villain is something incredibly different in an action film of this size….and with this many explosions.
Then there’s Selma. Oh yes, Selma Hayek makes an appearance in this film, and this lady is so grand. Oh so perfectly cast as Kincaid’s wife Sonia, Selma is Jackson’s perfect counterpart in every way. Their romantic introduction together takes the best moment of any 80s romance film, and then add’s a good helping of gore to it. Then there’s their back and forth of love, hate and more love which is so damn cute to watch. It’s fun to see romance this honest up on screen, and their chemistry is so-good together that I’m calling for a Darius/Sonia sequel right now. This romance is real and is a testament that some characters are truly meant to be together.
Finally, I have to mention the film’s epic motorcycle chase scene through the streets of Amsterdam. BECAUSE. IT. IS. EPIC. I haven’t seen anything this inventive up on a movie screen in a long time, and Hughes and his stunt team go to work in the third act with this uncontrollable piece of motorized choreography. Trust me when I say this scene is worth the cost of admission alone.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard is one all around crazy film, and that’s a really good thing. Sometimes you just need a good dose of crazy to lose yourself in at the cinema and The Hitman’s Bodyguard is certainly perfect movie to do that in. So buy that ticket and take that ride to peak Reynolds/Jackson….you won’t regret it.
Image: Roadshow Films
