The Hitman’s Bodyguard didn’t really leave a huge impression on me, but it was exactly the kind of junky action comedy that we don’t really get a lot these days, so I was able to appreciate it for what it is. The sequel, The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife, brings back director, Patrick Hughes, and writer, Tom O’Connor, who is now also working with Brandon and Phillip Murphy. Taking place not too long after the first film, we meet Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) in therapy, being advised to give up bodyguarding. But before he could even get to relaxing, it all turns sideways.
Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) pops out of nowhere, guns blazing, taking Michael completely by surprise, and asks, or rather – demands, for his help. It turns out, her hitman husband Darius (Samuel L. Jackson) has been kidnapped by mobsters, and she can’t help him alone. They manage to rescue him, but it turns out that mobster was an informant for Interpol agent, Bobby O’Neill (Frank Grillo), who now has to use the trio to locate and help stop Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas), a criminal mastermind who wants to destroy the European power grid because of the European Union planning to impose more sanctions on Greece.
The appeal of these movies largely revolve around seeing charismatic actors basically taking the piss out of basic action movie premises. Here the scale is widened, with our characters trotting from one European location to another, but it definitely isn’t taking itself as seriously as a Bond or a Mission: Impossible movie. The journey is meant to be a vehicle for jokes and gruesome action sequences. It is a very ridiculous movie, and it is by no means shy from indulging itself in its ridiculousness. And that is something I really admire about these movies.
The jokes can sometimes be hit-and-miss. It usually relies on some really obvious gags or one-liners, and if those fail, it falls back on being as crass as humanly possible. Sometimes, it does border on being one of those “the actors are having more fun making the movie than we are watching it” situations. However, it does end up working fairly well. These movies embrace their juvenile nature, and these actors know how to deliver f-bombs in a way that can get a chuckle out of you. The energy that Reynolds, Hayek, and Jackson bring to this is really infectious.
The action beats are solid enough. Patrick Hughes has proven to be a capable action filmmaker through his filmography. There are some tight sequences like one night club fight that was triggered by a random but funny cameo from Richard E. Grant, and the final action scene on a yacht offers some good character moments in between the beat downs and gunfire. It’s by no means a masterclass in filmmaking, but it’s functional and the actors do a good job in selling it.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife is not going to change your life or anything like that, but as a piece of junky entertainment, I think it gets the job done, and the way it leans heavier on the comedy made this a more enjoyable experience than anything I can recall from the first film. I had a good time with this, and much of it was due to the lively and irreverent performances from Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek. Other players like Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, and Frank Grillo bring a lot of personality with the material they’re given. Though, I do think Grillo had a better chance to showcase his skills in another action-comedy from earlier this year called Boss Level. The word-of-mouth on this is not great, and I can see why, but trashy movies like this are hardly ever critical darlings to begin with. If you liked the first one, I can’t fathom why this would make you react differently. It keeps things light and breezy, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. I can’t say it’s one I’ll revisit, but for the time I spent with it, I had fun.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife is now out in theaters.