Sometimes, a film’s title is enough to draw you in.
I knew nothing about The Hitman’s Bodyguard (saw no trailers, plot summaries, etc.) other than it starred Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, was an action-comedy, and most likely had something to do with hitmen and/or bodyguards. Having seen it I did expect better material from such an eye-catching title, but, nonetheless, enjoy The Hitman's Bodyguard as an overall entertaining film. The Hitman’s Bodyguard has two noticeable faults in pacing and action. The former could have definitely done with some trimming: cut out a few unnecessary scenes and backstory (Reynold’s character flashback for example), shorten the action segments, and speedup the drawn-out finale. The action’s issue is it’s very generic and gets tedious fast, save for one fantastic scene involving Reynold’s character in a kitchen and a hardware store—though said scene does detrimentally make the subpar action appear even blander (making the creators look lazy for not placing the same invigorating effort into those scenes).
I knew nothing about The Hitman’s Bodyguard (saw no trailers, plot summaries, etc.) other than it starred Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, was an action-comedy, and most likely had something to do with hitmen and/or bodyguards. Having seen it I did expect better material from such an eye-catching title, but, nonetheless, enjoy The Hitman's Bodyguard as an overall entertaining film. The Hitman’s Bodyguard has two noticeable faults in pacing and action. The former could have definitely done with some trimming: cut out a few unnecessary scenes and backstory (Reynold’s character flashback for example), shorten the action segments, and speedup the drawn-out finale. The action’s issue is it’s very generic and gets tedious fast, save for one fantastic scene involving Reynold’s character in a kitchen and a hardware store—though said scene does detrimentally make the subpar action appear even blander (making the creators look lazy for not placing the same invigorating effort into those scenes).
On the flip side, The Hitman’s Bodyguard has some effective chemistry between its two leads and, by its conclusion, establishes a genuine-feeling friendship. The comedy ranges from witty banter to downright zany antics (made funnier by the film’s usual semi-serious tone). The Hitman’s Bodyguard is at its best when it either satirizes action clichés or goes completely over-the-top with them (or, on the rare occasion, does both at the same time). Examples for each include when Reynold’s character drinks and sulks while a huge action scene—filled with bullets, car crashes and absolute mayhem—occurs directly behind him and when a helicopter crashes into a building, exploding at just the right angle so the camera pans to Jackson’s character looking hilariously, extravagantly badass. The Hitman’s Bodyguard has both strikes and hits, but it hits more than it strikes, providing a fun late-summer popcorn flick.
