Review – The Hitman’s Bodyguard

I don’t know if I have had a better time at the movies this year than I did during The Hitman’s Bodyguard.  Sure, we’ve seen this story before, but with two mega-stars like Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds leading the way, tear-inducing comedy, and badass action, this is the summer comedy I have been waiting for all summer.

Reynolds stars as Michael Bryce, a bodyguard who was, at one time, the best in the world, until one of the men was protecting died on his watch.  In order to back to his elite status and get his old job back, an old fling/co-worker (Elodie Young) offers him an opportunity to protect Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), a hitman who must testify at the International Court of Justice against a tyrannical politician (Gary Oldman).

This movie is carried by its cast.  Nothing is new about the plot, but the characters and performances are great all around.  Reynolds and Jackson are the duo of the summer.  Reynolds plays the meticulous, straighter, more serious Bryce like a pro, yet still flashes his usual Reynolds charm and quick, dry sense of humor.  This clashes perfectly with Jackson’s Kincaid, the loud, violent, boisterous hitman who’s all about going with the flow.  The two are reminiscent of great action-comedy duos like Murtaugh and Riggs or Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett.  They are both focused on the mission, yet are also dealing with personal matters of their own.  They talk about life, their jobs, and the ethics of the violent careers they have chosen.  They are also soft at heart and hopelessly in love.  Bryce is convinced his ex is the reason his last client was killed, yet still loves her, and Kincaid is trying to get to Amsterdam to see his wife (Salma Hayek) who is being held in a high security prison.  Hayek is the funniest I have ever seen her here, playing the foul-mouthed, violent wife of the sociopathic Kincaid.  They are a match made in killer heaven.  Reynolds and Jackson give us a pair of rounded assassins that could have been formulaic, but instead are some of the best characters we have gotten in 2017.

In a movie about hitmen and assassin, there is bound to be some shootouts and chase sequence and luckily for us, they are as badass as our two stars.  Bullets flies, blood splatters, and things blowup and it is all glorious.  The shootout and chase sequence in downtown Amsterdam is one of the best action sequences of the year.  This is the explosive action I’ve been waiting for all summer.

I am probably one of the few people who love The Hitman’s Bodyguard this much.  Maybe it is because 2017 has been a relatively weak year for action movies and for comedies.  Or maybe it is because it’s just an awesome movie.  I’m leaning toward the latter.  With Reynolds, Jackson, and the ferocious Hayek leading the way and some exciting action, this is as good and as fun as action comedies get.

Did you see The Hitman’s Bodyguard?  What did you think?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.