I might need a bodyguard

By Paul Hall

Celebrities, politicians, rock stars, athletes and anyone who is really in the public eye employ bodyguards. The bodyguard is there to protect their client, whether they like him or her or not. And, as we learn in the new film The Hitman’s Bodyguard, even hitmen can sometimes use a bodyguard.

Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) has been a AAA-rated bodyguard. His life was protecting some of the world’s elite individuals even if they were a bit unsavory at times. When a high-profile client is lost, Bryce spirals out of control and starts scraping the bottom of the barrel.

At the International Court of Justice, the vicious dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) is on trial for crimes against his countrymen. Every witness who has even considered testifying against Dukhovich has not made it to the stand. Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) steps forward and offers a deal: Release his wife and he will testify.

Amelia Roussel (Elodie Yung) is given the unenviable task of getting Kincaid to court. But there is a mole who is tipping Dukhovich’s men off to the location of this high-profile witness. The only person Amelia can turn to is her old flame, Michael.

Does Michael jump at the offer to re-establish his career or to re-establish a relationship? That may not be initially clear, but he shows up and sees the man who has tried to kill him numerous times. That sets the tone for an odd-couple road trip as Bryce tries to get Kincaid to court on time.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard aspires to be a buddy action-comedy, I think. There are copious amounts of over-the-top action that are truly hardcore. For me, the biggest home run is the stunt work from the men and women who bring many exciting sequences to the screen.

Dialogue tries to be witty and at times connects like a right cross similar to the ones thrown by Reynolds and Jackson in the film. The two trade both physical punches and verbal jabs throughout, but many miss the mark.

Full disclosure: I like bad action movies. There are many times The Hitman’s Bodyguard resembles a great bad action movie. This movie should be right in my sweet spot, but it wasn’t. Instead I found the amount of time I spent staring at gaping plot holes and numerous absolutely absurd premises to be overwhelming.

I felt like I was watching The A-Team with the lack of talented bad guys hitting anything. And don’t get me started on how Jackson found Reynolds in the final scene.

Here’s the thing: The Hitman’s Bodyguard isn’t a bad film. It has good moments to go with the unrealistic and absurd occurrences. If you can get past the bad without audibly chuckling, it’s not a bad ride. But myself, well, I couldn’t do it. I love everyone involved, but this comes up a bit short. After this review, I might need a bodyguard. Any takers?

Paul’s Grade: C+

The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Rated R
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman
Director: Patrick Hughes

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