The Hitman’s Bodyguard
The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action comedy pairing Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson as bodyguard and hitman who have to work together to get to a court on time, all the while being at each other’s throats and hunted by the baddies. Filmed in the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and the UK, and written by Tom O’Connor (whose only other credit is writing Fire with Fire, 2012 crime drama with Josh Duhamel), The Hitman’s Bodyguard delivers on laughs, foul language, and plenty of shootouts and chase scenes. Both leads have the ability to make it look easy and cool to do some violent things, have a conversation about something else, and occasionally get colourful with the English language (or Spanish, or French). Heroes come across really perfected, smooth in delivering lines and kicking butt, and Gary Oldman again disappears behind some hair and makeup. Having a European setting gave some nice looking scenery and encouraged a variety of supporting actors not all from Hollywood, which tied together well with some of the plot that involves the international community. If you are looking for shoot/bang, you’ll find it, but the real gem is seeing these two stars bicker with each other.
2017, 14A, 1h 58m
Distributor – Lionsgate/Summit
Budget / Worldwide Box Office (in millions) – $30 / $42 (and counting)
Cast & Crew
Director Patrick Hughes previously directed The Expendables 3 (2014 action with Sylvester Stallone) and Red Hill (2010 western thriller with Ryan Kwanten). Ryan Reynolds was previously in Life (sci-fi horror with Jake Gyllenhaal), Criminal (2016 crime action with Kevin Costner), and will next be seen as Deadpool again in both Deadpool 2 and X-Force. Samuel L. Jackson was previously in Kong: Skull Island (action adventure with Tom Hiddleston), xXx: Return of Xander Cage (action adventure with Vin Diesel), and will next be heard in Blazing Samurai (animated comedy with Michael Cera), and seen in Unicorn Store (comedy with Brie Larson), The Last Full Measure (war with Alison Sudol), and Life Itself (drama with Olivia Wilde). Also appearing is Gary Oldman, who was most recently in The Space Between Us (adventure drama with Asa Butterfield) and will next be in Darkest Hour as Winston Churchill (drama with Lily James), and Salma Hayek, who was most recently in Beatriz at Dinner (comedy with John Lithgow) and will next be in Drunk Parents (comedy with Alec Baldwin).
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