When the trailer for The Hitman’s Bodyguard hilariously used Whitney
Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” as its music, I just knew that this movie was
going to be something special. And,
indeed, it delivers tremendous entertainment. It’s probably the best action comedy buddy film I’ve
seen since The Nice Guys. The pairing up of two funny, likable actors with
legitimate action credentials in Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson is pure genius.
In this movie, the ruthless
dictator of Belarus Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) is being tried in The Hague
for crimes against humanity. The case
isn’t going so well for the prosecution, and the only hope of convicting him
lies on notorious hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), who agrees to
testify in exchange for the release of his equally notorious wife Sonia (Salma
Hayek) from prison. When the convoy transporting
Kincaid is ambushed by Dukhovich’s goons, the Interpol agent in charge of
escorting Kincaid, Amelia Roussel (Élodie Yung), asks the help of her ex, proficient bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), in keeping Kincaid alive. However, Bryce and Kincaid apparently have a history between them, making their travel to The Hague more interesting, as they must restrain themselves from going at each other’s
throats while being chased by numerous assassins out to kill them before
they can get to their destination.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard doesn’t have a tight script or a remarkable
plot, and it’s full of clichés and plot holes.
But these don’t really matter since I was having so much fun with it.
It has everything that makes an
extremely enjoyable action comedy – impeccable chemistry between its bickering and
tussling duo; badass close combat, gun fight, and car chase sequences; and tons of humor.
In addition, it has romantic elements, complete with accompanying love songs, that mesh seamlessly with the tone
and theme of the movie, adding a bit of tenderness and
sweetness to the narrative while also being played for comedic effect.
To sum it up, The Hitman’s Bodyguard doesn’t offer
anything that hasn’t been essentially seen in an action comedy before. Nonetheless, never did it feel like a waste of
time. On contrary, I had a smile during and after the movie. Surely, it means that, despite its shortcomings, it’s still completely pleasing in general.
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