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Title – The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)

Director – Patrick Hughes (Red Hill)

Cast – Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman

Plot – Recently de-registered bodyguard Michael Bryce (Reynolds) finds himself back in the company of hitman Darius Kincaid (Jackson) with his energetic wife Sonia (Hayek) in tow, as the mismatched trio must work together to stop a global terrorist attack the could devastate Europe.

“Oh, we are definitely gonna screw this up”

Review by Eddie on 01/07/2021

If there was ever a film that really didn’t need a sequel it was 2017’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard but thanks to a worldwide box office gross that was well in excess of $150 million dollars and some public sentiment that ensured it found a willing audience upon arrival on home video services, Australia director Patrick Hughes and his two leading men find themselves back doing what they do best in a generic sequel providing very much of the same in this covid delayed sequel The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Overcoming what is surely one of 2021’s worst titles, Bodyguard gets to coast off the sleepwalking Ryan Reynolds as bodyguard neurotic Michael Bryce and the constantly yelling (swearing) Samuel L. Jackson as bloodthirsty hitman Darius Kincaid with the two performers barely raising a sweat creating a charismatic bickering duo that is enlivened by the increased screen time of Kincaid’s wife Sonia who gets to be bought to life by a having a blast Salma Hayek whose having as much fun as she’s had in years with this role.

Full of sass, crazy eyes and eye catching outfits, Hayek is the main reason why Bodyguard doesn’t feel like more of a slog, as the film around her is unable to give Reynolds and Jackson the same great moments scattered throughout that the first film managed to do while Hughes bloody action set pieces pile up also without managing to bring much in the way of goodness to this outing that see’s the unlikely trio taking on Antonio Banderas’s definitely not Greek villain Aristotle Papdopolous from being a very naughty boy and taking down power grids across the European lands.

You certainly never watch a film of this ilk for the story, with this sequel even more so than the first feeling like a genuine old-school adult orientated Hollywood action comedy that use to be frequently found in cinemas across the 80’s and early 90’s (think The Last Boy Scout, 48 Hrs etc) and the story is almost like an afterthought that merely exists to allow Hayek and Jackson a chance to make innuendo laden jokes about their love life/want for children or for Reynolds to fall victim to another moment of bodily carnage that most surely should’ve sent him to an emergency ward.

Despite these narrative hiccups and a pedestrian approach to most of its material that will fail to surprise but will likely induce a few hearty chuckles and well delivered smiles, Bodyguard is far from the worst Hollywood comedy to come along our way over recent times and considering the genre is now mostly dormant with streaming offerings and TV shows carrying on the baton, its nice to be able to watch a genuine genre offering that could’ve done more with its all-star cast but gets by regardless with the bare minimum effort.

Final Say –

Very much more of the same following on from the first film, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard does nothing new these four years on from the first outing bar including a scene-stealing Salma Hayek in a far bigger role as it gets by with some killer gags and a lot of unneeded filler.

2 1/2 seat-belts out of 5