Jackson and Reynolds Bring The Laughs in ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ – Review
The Hitman’s Bodyguard centers around the relationship between former triple-A rated special protection agent, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and one of the world’s most notorious hitmen, Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson).
The duo who have bad blood are forced to work together when Kincaid is being transported to the International Court of Justice to testify against war criminal and former dictator, Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman).
So, let me begin by saying that Reynolds and Jackson are a match made in comedic heaven. The chemistry between the two is great and translates well on-screen. If the film were actually real-life, I definitely would believe the duo’s antics. If only we could see the pair team up in another movie… *coughs* Deadpool *coughs* I know, most likely it’s never going to happen but just the thought makes me happy.
Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson in The Hitman’s Bodyguard (Courtesy of Lionsgate)
But back to the real movie at hand – an element to the film that really surprised me was the focus on the character’s relationships. From the trailers, I believed that the film would me male-centric throughout but that was not the case. Elodie Yung plays Agent Amelia Roussel, ex-wife of Bryce and Salma Hayek plays Darius’s wife, Sonia. Both women are excellent in this film and surprisingly, Hayek’s character was one of the best parts of the movie.
The film also delved into the reason as to why both Bryce and Kincaid ended up in their current professions. One simply doesn’t wake up one morning deciding to be a hitman and the approach that was taken to explain this was surprisingly deep. It really makes you wonder who is better- the hitman who takes care of the bad guys but is taking a life in the process, or the protection agent who is trying to keep people alive, but is protecting some very bad people? It was some food for thought that I wasn’t expecting and it was definitely appreciated.
With laughs, f-bombs galore, a plethora of good action sequences and some nice surprises along the way, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a fun watch. Ultimately, it’s a fun ride and definitely something you’ll want to see if you’re a fan of Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds – nothing more, nothing less.
Catch The Hitman’s Bodyguard in theaters now!
