The Hitman’s Bodyguard was an outstanding surprise hit, which seemingly came out of nowhere in
August of 2017. Michael Bryce (Reynolds) is tasked with getting Darius Kincaid (Jackson) to the witness
stand, to testify against the war crimes of Vlasislav Dukhovich (Oldman). This film did an exceptional job
of balancing the tone of the story with action and comedy.
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard however completely throws out the balancing act and goes straight to
comedy with action scenes meant only to further the laughs. The team the original is all here with
Director Patrick Hughes, and writer Tom O’Connor returning as well as Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson,
and Salma Hayek lighting up the screen with their hilarious comedic chemistry, and antics.
Frank Grillo, Antonio Banderas, and Morgan Freeman are a few of the fresh faces that add so much to
this film. Grillo adds “the Boston Way” and does a great job of grounding the 3 stars while appearing
with them. Banderas unfortunately feels like he was wasted here but definitely makes the most of what
he’s given. I won’t elaborate too much on Freeman as it could tip-toe into spoiler territory however he
fits so much into the small cameo role he has.
The story here isn’t the focal point so don’t go in expecting anything much in that area, however, you can
expect to laugh the entire 2-hour runtime. The humor in the films is what carries a lack of lusting in a
story. Nothing groundbreaking here just an amazing comedic cast doing what they all do exceptionally
well. You don’t really need to have seen the first film to enjoy this entry as what it needs you to know it
will show you. The film is very top heavy relying solely on its star-studded cast, with little to no
substance. But boy does Reynolds, Jackson, & Hayek banter more than make up for it.
