A direct sequel to 2017’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard rejoins professional bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) as he tries to put the events of the first movie behind him. Haunted by his time with hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), his perceived nemesis, Michael is sent on holiday to try and unwind. His dreams of relaxing down by the beach are dashed however, when his vacation is crashed by Kincaid’s wife Sonia (Salma Hayek) who is in need of his services. Cue violence, comedy, and action; and a potential mental breakdown for Michael.
In The Hitman’s Bodyguard, director Patrick Hughes relied heavily on Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson to play the same type of characters that have made them popular. For the sequel, the filmmakers continue this theme whilst beefing up Salma Hayek’s brief role from the original, playing a version of the feisty Latina that we’ve seen from her many times. This over-reliance on the cast to go into their default setting is likely meant to inject the movie with vim and energy, but instead, the performances, especially those of Reynolds and Jackson, come across as tired. Hayek was one of the best things in the first film, but even she struggles to save The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard as her character has limited growth and development. The move to play this one close to the formula of the first doesn’t work on a second spin, it just feels a tad too repetitive. This is further worsened by the film’s inability to move beyond the same three or four jokes, Hughes and co. dragging them out, flogging them for every last ounce of potential humour.
The plot is fairly flimsy and is loosely stitched into place around a lot of action pieces. The group runs from one scenario to another with a fleeting line of dialogue here and there that pushes the narrative along. There are also far more characters than the story requires, and whilst it’s nice to see the likes of Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman, and Frank Grillo on screen, they each feel as though they belong in entirely different movies. With so many set-pieces, shootouts, car chases, and explosions, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard inevitably starts to feel disjointed and bitty; and it is in these moments that the audience falls away. This sequel is actually twenty minutes shorter than its predecessor, but feels far more bloated and lengthier.
This is a classic example of a sequel that fails to build upon or expand out from its source. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard becomes a mere rework of what the audience has seen before. With so little time having passed between the two films there really needed to be something more to make it stand out. If you enjoyed The Hitman’s Bodyguard then you might get a chuckle or two out of this new adventure, but even the most die-hard fans’ devotion will be challenged as it sinks further and further into far too familiar territory.
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is in UK cinemas now.
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
Summary
Whilst it adds little value to what we’ve already seen, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard still manages to provide some entertainment to accompany your popcorn munching, though little is likely to be recalled once you are back out into the auditorium.
