Review: The Hitman's Bodyguard
A movie where Ryan Reynolds (of Deadpool fame) and Samuel L Jackson (where do we even start) are the two starring actors? Sign us right up, because this ain't an ordinary buddy action comedy. Michael (Ryan Reynolds) is supposedly the world's best bodyguard and has been hired to protect hitman Darius (Samuel L. Jackson), who has to testify against a powerful politician in court. The pair have loud, clashing personalities but need each other to survive, leaving a trail of dead minions and law enforcement officers in their wake.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard can be summed up in one word - unpretentious. It doesn't yearn to be more than what it is - a violent, summery shoot-em-up light on the brain cells and heavy on the action. Directed by Patrick Hughes (Expendables 3) and written by Tom O'Connor, it takes audiences through a fairly high-octane chase through Amsterdam and Coventry amongst other cities, with a touch of gore that occasionally surprises in its suddenness.
Sometimes it feels like the two leads are the ones truly enjoying themselves - with enough bantering, bickering and good-natured reflections on the women in their lives (Salma Hayek and Élodie Yung), it never feels like the punchlines have time to expire before the next rolls along. There are three things in abundance here: shootouts, car chases, and oodles of dry humour.
While both leads spit out their fair share of snarky lines, Jackson gets to deliver most of the big scenes in his typical bombastic, righteously indignant style. The most meta moment arrives when Michael objects to Darius' frequent usage of a famed 12-letter expletive. For those well-acquainted with Jackson's films, this is a sly nod to the yesteryear cult films of yore from Pulp Fiction.
While the two talents' efforts have not been wasted in The Hitman's Bodyguard, here's hoping Hughes can conjure a different sort of beast that relies on less action, more plot for his next hit. - Thompson Wong
