Movie Review: “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”

The Hitman’s Bodyguard, starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, tells the story of Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), a triple A rated executive protection agent that is down on his luck after the early downturn of his career. Though still a protection agent, he feels anger and confusion about his initial failure. The audience is then introduced to Darius Kincaid (Samuel Jackson), who is an infamous but very successful hitman-for-hire. The two are forced to team up unwillingly. The result is a combination of hilarious and witty dialogue as well as frequent action that is visually pleasing with every punch, kick and improvised weapon.
The dialogue was well written, as the witty comebacks and rivalry between The two main characters kept the movie entertaining. The dialogue never slowed the scenes and action was never too disorienting to keep up with. The storyline was well established and the goals of the characters were achieved through the action scenes and served as a great conclusion to an entertaining story.
The skill displayed in Reynolds’ and Jackson’s acting was on point and just what the movie called for. It was very believable and each actor and actress settled well into his or her parts. Jackson’s carefree “life gives you lemons” attitude worked well for his character, especially as a foil to Reynolds’ careful planning and preparation approach. Reynolds was at his best when he knew what was to come and was well prepared even when a solution seemed near impossible. As for Jackson, Reynolds wondered how his approach even kept him alive. Jackson felt that planning was a waste of time, and one should just go with what life gives him or her and make the most of each situation. Each character fills their roll well and makes for a believable story and one that audiences can enjoy and connect with. Each side character supports the main characters well and offers a good platform for the plot. Overall, the acting was well done.
Specific technical elements for the movie, which can make or break any movie, definitely made this movie a great one. Some elements include editing, lighting, mood, special effects and action scenes. The editing is well done and the mood is perfectly established as the comedy-action that the genre was meant to be. The urban scenes with familiar monuments of downtown London as well as the beautiful canals and plazas of Amsterdam served the story well. The music adds to the scenes, although most of the time it got buried behind what was happening on screen. The fight scenes themselves were absolutely flawless and well choreographed. This movie is all about the epic fight scenes and watching some cliché Russian henchmen learn their lesson. Both Jackson and Reynolds still let their differences come out despite being shot at. The characters’ conflicts added another layer of depth to action scenes with Reynolds’ stealthy and subtle actions and Jackson’s messing it up with his bombastic, strong-arm approach.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a well-done movie. Based on the perfectly written dialogue that had no awkward moments or unconnected plot points, it was a well-orchestrated storyline that served its purpose– to entertain. It should be noted that the superb acting, believable storyline, witty and well-executed dialogue and overall visual appeal made this movie a must see for anyone who loves Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson as well as comedy and action movies.