The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Movie Review

"Loaded with worn-out cliches of action comedies and odd couple pairings, it's irritating to see a good concept squandered." - Brandon Vick's full review of The Hitman's Bodyguard

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You would think you could put two charismatic actors together in a movie and you’d have a guaranteed hit on your hands. Surely that’s what director Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3) thought when he roped in the top-notch talents of Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson for his latest, The Hitman’s Bodyguard.

But, Hughes, along with the rest of us, thought wrong. The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a lousy shot.

Darius Kincaid (Jackson) is the only witness alive to testify against Belorussian dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (a criminally confined Gary Oldman). If he can make it to the court house with his damaging proof, his bitchy wife Sonia (an audacious Selma Hayek), drop-dead gorgeous and equally dangerous, will be set free from behind bars. Her and her hubby are a match made in heaven, having a real way with words—the nastiest kind, of course.

Kincaid is also a hitman with a very impressive body count; but even a ruthless killer such as himself needs protection every now and then. That’s where Michael Bryce (Reynolds) comes in, a bodyguard who is use to working at the highest possible level. And these two men share a long history of being a huge pain in each other’s ass.

The hitman and his bodyguard have to travel from England to the Hague, and through their banter and sharing of their love lives, the action remains constant. There’s a ton of chasing, shooting and fighting, but while the mindless violence is fluent, the laughs are not. The only few jokes that exist are dragged through the entire movie and get buried in a hurry. There’s more humor in the previews and posters.

Letdown is what comes to mind when I think about The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Loaded with worn-out cliches of action comedies and odd couple pairings, it’s irritating to see a good concept squandered. Couple that with Reynolds and Jackson’s chemistry adding up to nothing, you’ll forget about this by the end of the year. Never mind, make it a month instead.

Marvel can have their Deadpool and Nick Fury back now.

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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