Reel Review Roundup

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (M)

Directed by: Patrick Hughes

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek

Review by: Julian Wright

Bigger, louder, and more swearing is the plan of action for this sequel to the moderate 2017 hit The Hitman’s Bodyguard.

While on a strict gun-free sabbatical from bodyguarding in Italy, under his psychiatrist’s orders, highly strung Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is dragged back into a world of violence, body counts, kidnappings and villains with plans of destruction.

Feisty firecracker Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) has tracked Michael down to help get her hitman husband Darius (Samuel L. Jackson) back from the mobsters who took him on the first night of their honeymoon.

The trio then get caught up in Interpol’s mission, led by agent Bobby O’Neill (Frank Grillo), to stop Aristotle Papadopolous (Antonio Banderas) from destroying the European power grid.

But Sonia and Aristotle have unresolved history.

In the grand tradition of action sequels, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard does things bigger and louder, with lines of dialogue that never have less than 12 F-words or variants of. A drinking game in which you take a shot every time someone swears would require a grave.

In many ways, the script does feel like it was written by a giddy 14 year old boy who just discovered swear words and a blank cheque for explosions, though admittedly Jackson’s first few “motherf*ckers” does hit the spot.

There is a lot of humour drawn from the foul mouthed, gun-toting Sonia leaving a trail of dead bodies while pining about being a mum and Michael getting through various violent situations without resorting to a firearm.

Hayek steals the show from her male counterparts with her outlandish and comedically over-the-top performance and thank goodness for her. She also brings some emotional depth (as much as one could possibly be allowed to in an otherwise testosterone-fuelled endeavor) to what would otherwise be simply a screeching harpy.

It is sequel film making for the lowest common denominator and darn it if I didn’t get sucked right into it, because while it doesn’t bother to reinvent the wheel, it has an energy and conviction about it that is infectious. It aims for fun and achieves it.

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