While the original Bodyguard was rather hit-and-miss, Hughes and co. have grown a little more into their respective roles. Smart-mouth bodyguard Bryce suits Reynolds down to a tee, more so now he’s lost his license to guard and is in therapy (with Britain’s Rebecca Front amusingly playing his shrink). On sabbatical in Capri, he’s no sooner settling down for some R&R when Hayek’s mad-as-a-brush Sonia shows up, imploring him to help rescue her hitman hubbie Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), whom Bryce previously escorted to The Hague.

Trouble is, the über-sensitive Bryce has sworn off guns (he’ll use a pepper spray, though), which adds spice to this madcap mission across Mediterranean Europe. Before long, our three protagonists are all working for Interpol to bring down Antonio Banderas’ slippery Greek billionaire, who has a bee in his bonnet over the EU imposing financial sanctions on his homeland. Somehow, he’s got hold of a diamond-tipped drill that can cause a devastating power surge across Europe. Yes, really. Truth be told, the only thing more ridiculous than the plot is Banderas’ bad-taste Euro-trash wardrobe…

Really, THWB is all about amping up the action and the comedy to 11. Given the amount of hardware (helicopters, boats, bridges, cars) that comes a cropper, Hughes’ camera must be fitted with a big red ‘destruct’ button on it. But that would soon get samey without a lively, zinger-filled script which Reynolds, Hayek, and Jackson all relish. Bringing the trio together for extended periods – something the original didn’t do – helps bring the movie alive. 

Between Bryce’s mopey introspection (which – without spoiling it – has something to do with a big A-list cameo), Sonia’s desire to be a mother and Darius’ own personal secrets, there’s enough here to keep the characters as more than just mouthpieces for smart one-liners. 

The sticking point for some will be the bone-crunching violence, of which there’s A LOT. But if you can stomach that, then this ticks that dumb-fun summer-movie box nicely.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is in UK cinemas now and US theaters from June 16. For more, check out the best upcoming movies.

The Verdict

3

3 out of 5

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

A brash, funny action-com that does exactly what it says on the bullet-riddled tin.

The post The Hitmans Wifes Bodyguard review: “If you can stomach the violence, this ticks the dumb-fun summer-movie box nicely” appeared first on Game News.

The move comes after Disney put Lionsgate – and Ryan Reynolds – in a bit of a pinch by shifting Free Guy (Reynolds’ other summer film) to August 13, 2021. That new release plopped it just a week ahead of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. We all love Ryan Reynolds, but back-to-back weeks might be a little much. 

With the theatrical industry starting to come alive again, Lionsgate took the opportunity to pounce. August 20 is another packed weekend, with In the Heights and Edgar Wright’s documentary The Sparks Brothers hitting at the same time – but we used to have that feeling almost every week.

Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate’s president of worldwide distribution commented on the press release: “This is the kind of summer action film that delivers even more comedy and more thrilling action than the first film – and it’s perfect for fans new to the franchise as well. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is what summer moviegoing is all about – great, crowd-pleasing entertainment.”

The first film pulled in over $176 million for Lionsgate back in 2017. Time will tell on what kind of returns the studio will see with viewers excited to get back into theaters. If you need a smile today, please enjoy the Reynolds Cut of Green Lantern.

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