THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD – A Review by Hollywood Hernandez
As the summer movie season comes to an end Hollywood gives us one last action/adventure film that is driven by star power; The Hitman's Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. Reynolds plays Michael Bryce, an anal retentive hitman who is strictly by the books; while Samuel L. Jackson is Darius Kincaid, an assassin who flies by the seat of his pants however; his style seemingly makes him bulletproof.
The fun, and a whole lot of killing, begins when Reynolds gets the assignment to be Jackson's bodyguard and the two world class hitmen set out on a trek to get Kincaid to a world tribunal to testify against a dictator (Gary Oldman) who is accused of war crimes, but everyone who's previously tried to testify against him has ended up dead.
The two lead characters could not be any more different. Reynolds, who was heartbroken by his previous relationship with a secret agent, is jaded and bitter while Jackson's character is married to another hired killer (Salma Hayek), who is currently doing time, is a romantic, love struck fool who takes to singing loves songs at the drop of a dime. He's also prone to dropping the "MF" word. (There are more MF's in this movie than in any other I can recall since Pulp Fiction.)
MF's aside, this is one funny film. It's in the tradition of classic "buddy movies" like Lethal Weapon or 48 Hours. The contrast of the two main characters make for some serious comedic moments. The jokes make for a smooth transition from the car chase scenes and violence. The Hitman's Bodyguard never takes it's foot off the gas. The movie goes at full throttle from beginning to end. It is a seriously fun movie!
The film is rated "R" for violence and harsh language and it has a run time of 1 hour and 58 minutes (which passes very quickly). On my "Hollywood Popcorn Scale" I rate it a JUMBO!
Hollywood Hernandez
