The Hitman’s Bodyguard review: Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson unite to attempt to save the summer with this explosive thrill ride, an action comedy that manages to entertain throughout.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard review by Paul Heath.
I have absolutely no idea as to why, but I expected The Hitman’s Bodyguard to be horrible. It has been a really disappointing year in terms of big studio movies, and an action film set in Manchester, Coventry and eventually Holland, looked absolutely set to join a season full of duds, but The Hitman’s Bodyguard, starring an on-form Samuel L. Jackson and a post-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds, could be the saviour of the summer.
Our story begins in London, some time in the past. Reynolds’ bodyguard Michael Bryce is on a job protecting a VIP. The lavish opening suggest that Bryce has it all; the luxury home, beautiful girlfriend, top-notch motor, and an arsenal of weapons to protect a small country, let alone a wobbly middle-aged businessman. The job seems simple, but its not too long before it all goes south and Bryce loses his all important Triple-A rating and the high-profile clients that come with it.
Fast forward in time post-titles where we find Bryce down on his luck. That Triple-A rating meant everything to him and his business, and now he finds himself having to take any job going, which includes taking on Richard E. Grant’s slimy London businessman. It’s not long before Bryce gets a call from former girlfriend and Interpol agent Amelia Ryder (Elodie Yung), who calls him out of the blue to help deliver notorious hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) from Manchester to the International Courts of Justice at The Hague, Kincaid being the star witness in a war crimes trial against Belarus dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman).
Hilarity ensues.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard is enjoyable from the off, the film very much suited to the current image and comedy of its leading man, Ryan Reynolds – think Deadpool but without the costume. Jackson to is on top form as the battered hitman, his character desperate to get away from Bryce and reunite with his spouse, a hilarious bad-ass potty-mouthed woman named Sonia, played by a brilliant against-type Salma Hayek, who is holed up in Holland, bait for Kincaid’s testimony.
The action comes thick and fast, presented in almost cartoon-like fashion by director Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3, Red Hill). Although most of the action set-pieces are ludicrous, most have been executed with practical effects rather than CGI, a thrilling Amsterdam-set speed boat/ motorcycle chase one the many highlights. Of course, CGI is used, and when it is it is completely over the top and seemingly not embarrassed of the extremes it will go to, and yes, it uses its 15 certificate in the UK to the max, the film full of glorious over-the-top violence and outlandish swearing by all involved.
Apart from its brilliant action, The Hitman’s Bodyguard works so well because of the fantastic chemistry between Reynolds and Jackson. Riffing everything from The Bodyguard to Midnight Run, Tom O’Connor’s excellent screenplay provides the basis for the two to go to the places where they work at their best, and the film is an absolute delight to watch because of it. Gary Oldman is also worthy of mention as the brutal bad guy, and while he’s not given as much screen time that we’d quite have liked, his sinister portrayal of dastardly Dukhovich, is also a joy to watch.
A genuine surprise, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is not going to bother the red carpet awards ceremonies later in the year, but it is going to find an audience in a summer full of let-downs from the big boys. It’s an explosive thrill-ride, hilarious throughout, and perhaps one of the most entertaining films of the year.
See it.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard review by Paul Heath, August 2017.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard is released in UK cinemas on 18th August 2017.
