What ever criticism you may have of the first The Hitman’s Bodyguard (as valid as it may be), the one thing that no one can deny is the chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson was absolutely terrific. That aspect of the first movie was by far the best part of the first movie and it put two respected actors together on the same screen and gave us an exciting and fresh action comedy duo, and the best thing about the first one is that it was fun and it succeeded that well. The action comedy genre is a genre that has a lot of hits in the past and while no main character in The Hitman’s Bodyguard and in it’s sequel Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, they both provide to be solid examples of a buddy cop movie that with two actors that works really well together. Now, that’s not saying that The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a great movie by any means. It is full of clichés, both from an action and comedy perspective and it’s severely cartoonish with its characters and tone, which is why it probably never got that high acclaim that it should have received. And while the first one is insane, over the top and incredibly ridiculous, that’s what made the first one a blast and what made it s charming. And now with Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, once again directed by Patrick Hughes, he brought the same sensibilities and camp to it’s sequel. Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a total blast and accepts the silliness and cliches that come within the action comedy genre. Just like its predecessor, Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are even better and even more electric as an action and comedy duo in this go around and as an action director, Patrick Hughes knows how to compose a slick and entertaining action sequence.
The world’s most mortal and strange couple bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) are back for another life-threatening mission. While having his license taken away and attempting to live his life by not body-guarding anymore, Bryce is suddenly forced back into Daruis’s life even more thanks to his loud and obnoxious wife, he infamous international con artist Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek). Bryce and Sonia are then on a mission to rescue Darius from a European madman (Antonio Banderas), but the trio realize that there is much more at stake for the sake of humanity and it’s up to them so stop Antonio Banderas from a global plot to destroy all of Europe.
It’s interesting and tonally speaking, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a lot of more of an absurd, over the top and ludicrous movie than it’s previous film, which kind of makes it’s a bit harder for people to enjoy this movie just as much or maybe a little bit more. That said, something that Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard does well that The Hitman’s Bodyguard does but not as well is that it’s sequel wears silliness and its over the top storytelling like a shield and any kind of criticism this movie gets is protected by it’s protective layer. Make no mistake about it, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is not a great movie nor is it really that good of a movie, but the level of fun, the chemistry between Jackson and Reynolds and the surprising level of competent action are all factors that make this movie an escapist experience. Director Patrick Hughes isn’t one of the worlds finest filmmakers and some were soured with his take on The Expendables 3, however he is a solid action conductor and the action in Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is very violent and superbly entertaining.
What makes the action more exciting is the combo with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. It bares repeating, but there back and forth is what makes this movie and the other one work. The comedy works between them, the scenes of them bantering work and it’s really the meat of these two movies, but where the issue comes into play is the addition of Salma Hayek. Salma Hayek is absolutely gorgeous and severely talented as a performer, but she’s absolutely awful in this movie. Granted, there are a few doses of chuckles when she’s with Jackson and Reynolds, but as an overall take, her performance is so ridiculous that it’s hard to take her seriously. It’s either a situation where she took the material too seriously or the direction she went with, either way, it’s just a bit of a misstep.
With all that being said, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard knows what kind of movie it is and it’s meant to deliver on some fun and it does it just like the film before it. The chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson is terrific and the action is great. Granted, this is cartoony and almost a parody of itself, but it’s a fun summer movie.
My grade for Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: B-
Zane's take at the Cinema's 