The Hitman's Bodyguard

Maybe I'm potentially too pumped for the September release of Kingsman: The Golden Circle because lately I've had a difficult time getting excited for the movies. 

Aside from Dunkirk and Atomic Blonde (to a certain extent), I've been attending the movies partially out of obligation to reviewing them -- never a good thing -- and partially out of self interest.

This weekend is a fairly prime example of that. Logan Lucky was enjoyable, yes, but also forgettable especially in as strong of a year as we've had. 

The Hitman's Bodyguard is a movie I feel like I should be excited for, but couldn't seem to be more than slightly interested in. It's got two bonafide stars with Samuel L. Jackson playing a core role and a post-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds, an R-rating, solid humor, and some action. 

What's not to be excited about? 

This may be leading all to my point that the film is a decent distraction -- some airy fun -- but it's mostly a gimmick that is becoming fairly predictable due to my sustained trips to the movies. The Hitman's Bodyguard is nothing you haven't seen before, other than the stars in the film, and it will survive in your memory as such. 

Much like the other film this weekend, it's fun, but ultimately hollow entertainment. 

It would seem that's fitting for the month of August as the blockbuster season winds down...

"I'm sick of these mother f**king
cars in the mother f**king river!"

Hitman's Bodyguard tells a straightforward story, aside from all the backplot it fills in along the way. An evil Gary Oldman (great as always) is being tried for war crimes, but no one actually has any solid proof of him committing said crimes. That is, of course, except for a captured hitman he tried to hire, Darius Kincaid (Jackson). An attempt is made on Darius' life as he's transported to the court hearing and Bryce (Reynolds) is hired to protect him. The two have a history. Hi-jinks ensue. And the plot unfurls without any surprises. In a time/world where there's a decent amount of world-building being done in films like John Wick, etc. The Hitman's Bodyguard doesn't make itself all that distinct in that regard which could have given it more reason to exist. That may not be a fair comparison, but I actually did enjoy a lot of the flashbacks, excessive as they may be, that accompany the film. They flesh our characters out more and are enjoyable in their silliness. I was very surprised there wasn't really any big twist in a spy film (rare these days) and I suppose I missed it a bit because a plot that unfurls exactly the way you think it will is a bit of a bore. 

It's clear the film was banking on Jackson and Reynold's chemistry and they did nail this aspect for the most part. They're a fun duo and like to play off each other's quirks. Darius hates how much Bryce talks for example, while Bryce claims that Darius has single-handedly ruined the word "mother-f**ker". It's what keeps the film afloat and its why the film was made, so it works. I was proud of the film for not going to Deadpool levels of absurdity with Reynolds, though Jackson's shtick wears a bit thin with MOFO-this and MOFO-that. I get that's what he's famous for, but his character's best moments are mostly when he's being slightly different that we've seen him before and it was refreshing to see him in a larger role than we're used to. I'm not left pining to see more of these characters, but I also wouldn't turn down the opportunity to get another adventure with them. 

Breaking the fourth wall here?

The action and humor are both come-and-go in terms of quality. An end-of-film car/motorcycle/boat chase is a highlight and very exciting, but many others are comparatively lame and tame. A couple are massively over-edited and in a year with some superb action scenes, Hitman's Bodyguard doesn't do enough to give me something highly memorable. Same with the humor. It's funny at times, but never uproarious, and it depends on the leads' interaction for nearly every joke. That's fine because it works to varying levels, but it's definitely not the funniest film I've seen this year by a mile. In fact, there's a certain thematic core to it that I found often conflicting awkwardly with the humor. Many images throughout are reminiscent of modern-day terrorism thanks to those jacka** pieces of s**t over at ISIS. And the film seems to know it too with certain scenes dealing with aftermaths of shootings or explosions in large cities. But then we cut to Jackson making fun of Reynolds and it's a bit jarring. Given how desensitized I know I am to this stuff, it takes quite a bit for me to notice and it was fairly blatant here.

Fairly common imagery throughout the film...

This review is another that may not read entirely positive, which is a shame. The Hitman's Bodyguard, for all intents and purposes is an original film for the summer and, much like Logan Lucky, is a good time at the movies. It's just not a memorable or particularly great one. Sometimes that quality wears me out, but for a normal audience member it may be just what they're looking for before we get into the pre-Oscar season. There's nothing fun with a little mindless fun from time to time. 

CONS

• Too long by about 15 mins
• Plot void of surprises or twists
• Odd tone conflicts between R-rated violence that echoes terrorism and funny barbs between the leads
• Mostly average action 
• Mostly average laughs

PROS

• Reynolds and Jackson are clearly having a lot of fun and their chemistry is what carries the film
• I may be in the minority but I enjoyed the plethora of flashbacks. That indicates I was interested in learning more about the characters
• A few genuinely funny moments and one-liners
• At least one great action chase scene
• Funny soundtrack that has some fun
• R-rated was a good choice. It would have felt annoyingly tamed-down otherwise
• Enjoyable end-of-summer popcorn fare. Won't be on your mind long, but it's a fun way to pass a couple hours

Rath's Review Score | 7/10