Review of The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) by Reel Life R — 09 Aug 2017

The Hitman's Bodyguard - Short on laughs and long on runtime. How a concept like this could be stretched into 2 full hours is a feat unto itself.

There are some actors in Hollywood that are basically infallible. The likes of Daniel Day Lewis, Phillip Seymour Hoffman (RIP), Tom Hanks, and Gary Oldman come to mind when I think of consistent, quality performances. Unfortunately for Gary, his streak has come to a crashing end. I don't know why he would sign on to a movie like this in the first place, but more than that, I don't know why the director, producer, studio, or even Gary Oldman himself would hang his hat on what ended up in the final cut.

As we've come to expect, Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson play themselves in the movie, not really bringing any character into their roles. They're funny guys, to be sure, but they just don't hit the mark for me in this one. People were definitely laughing in the theater, but it just gets too slapstick for me at times.

The fight scenes themselves, however, are intricate and well-choreographed. They aren't at the level of John Wick 2, but they easily surpass the fights from the recently released Atomic Blonde. There are a couple good car chases as well, with one being to the tune of Black Betty, which probably stands as the best car chase backdrop; perfectly chaotic and fun.

This movie of course doesn't take itself too seriously, but I at least wanted to laugh and enjoy the story. I didn't end up doing much of either. It's another film that when you see it in Target in November you'll say "Oh ya, that was a thing that happened." Not exactly a quote you'd want on the cover.