Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
Genre crime comedy, thriller
Directed by Patrick Hughes
Cast: Ryan Reynolds (Michael Bryce), Samuel L. Jackson (Darius Kincaid), Salma Hayek (Sonia Kincaid), Antonio Banderas (Aristotle Papadopolous), Morgan Freeman (Michael Bryce Sr.), Richard E. Grant (Seifert), Frank Grillo (Bobby O’Neill), Tom Hopper (Magnusson) and others.
Студии Millennium Media, Summit Entertainment, Above the Line Set Assistance & Security
Release year 2021
Site IMDb
Without any snobbery, it is worth recognizing that The Killer’s Bodyguard, which was released in 2017, turned out to be a funny film. He successfully balanced between an action movie and a comedic interaction of actors, which was built on the endless disputes of the main characters – a pedantic loser and a cheerful killer. Ryan Reynolds played an upper-class bodyguard who lost his elite status, and Samuel L. Jackson easily portrayed a mocking hitman who does not pay attention to the fuss, trusting his professional skills.
There was also a minor role for Salma Hayek – the actress played the wife of a killer with an extremely explosive temper and a sharp tongue. She appeared in the frame only a couple of times, and even then in the prison walls, but the heroine turned out to be so memorable that the continuation of the action comedy was practically dedicated to her. And, of course, the nervous breakdown of the former bodyguard. This time, the hero will definitely be on the verge, because next to him there are two irritants at once, from which there is no peace.
The sequel was directed by Patrick Hughes, who also directed the previous installment. The main screenwriter Tom O’Connor remained unchanged, however, for a new round of history, he did not really bother with plot nuances. There are several minor lines in the tape that seem so indistinct that for a good half of the film you don’t attach any importance to them at all. And this despite the fact that Antonio Banderas, a new antagonist from Greece, is involved in the background plot, who is keen on organizing the collapse of the European electricity transmission network (or Gary Oldman’s character from the first film, who played the Belarusian dictator, who was awaiting a court verdict in The Hague).
Apparently, the creators were one hundred percent sure that the attention of the audience was already guaranteed if the film retains the same cast, which will play out a proven scheme with humor: one character gradually loses patience, and the second finishes him off with his antics. The elements of the action movie were not forgotten either, they were even strengthened by adding an impressive number of fights and accidental deaths.
And it all started quite calmly – Michael Bryce (the hero of Ryan Reynolds), trying to restore internal balance, goes on a well-deserved vacation to Italy. There, he spends a few peaceful moments until Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) appears before him, urging him to save her husband (Samuel L. Jackson), who has been kidnapped by bandits. Michael Bryce immediately refuses, but Sonya ignores his will, lashing out at criminals and pouring out her soul to a former bodyguard along the way.
Actually, the main comedic accent of the sequel is the emotional swing of the heroine Salma Hayek, who gives out a number of unique curses and without hesitation turns to physical violence, and then instantly changes, turning into a spiritual interlocutor (there are also plenty of comical interactions between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, they just sometimes get lost against the background of Salma). To this, the filmmakers add even more jokes below the belt and sometimes go into complete absurdity, trying to wrap the story in unexpected wilds. All for the fun that doesn’t stop while the trio try to get out of the big trouble created by Interpol.
If we compare the two parts, then the first film suddenly begins to seem almost a serious action movie with a balanced plot and mundane characters. But the second part rushes on the waves of madness and acting charisma. And in the end, he still achieves his goal – audience laughter in the hall. Yes, the action comedy The Killer’s Wife’s Bodyguard can be called a very stupid film. But it uses the best comedic sides of Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek, making it easy and expected weekend entertainment.
Pros: Interactions between Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek; chases and other elements of action movie Cons: indistinct line of the new antagonist; sometimes the plot goes into complete absurdity. Conclusion:
continuation of the action comedy, which has become much crazier than the first part.
