Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas
Directed by Patrick Hughes

In 2017, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" brought together a duo made in F-ing heaven: Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, and the result was nothing short of devilishly divine: a curse-laden razor sharp script delivered with precise comedic timing highlighting the fundamentally funny aspects of international espionage. The film was also a modest success with earning over $127 million worldwide, and it was only a matter of time before a sequel was churned out. With a longer delay due to Covid, "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" finally hit theaters, and much like with other sequels, it's a pale comparison to its more hilarious, zany, and well-thought-out pedigree.

Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is still coming to terms with loosing his triple-A rating as a bodyguard after taking a bullet for notorious hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), and he can't come to grips with the fact that his bodyguarding days might be over. After talking with his psychiatrist, he decides to take a vacation in Capri and swear off guns - until he's met by Darius's wife Sonia (Salma Hayek), who needs his help rescuing her "cucaracha" from a gang of mobsters. After accomplishing this task, they're apprehended by Interpol agent Bobby O'Neill (Frank Grillo), who forces them to take an assignment - stop shipping tycoon Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas) from obtaining a crystal-laden drill that'll burrow into the deeps of the water to destroy Europe's power grid in retaliation for the continued sanctions on Greece. Michael, Darius, and Sonia embark on a cross-country journey to prevent Aristotle from accomplishing his goal, but also getting a chance for Darius and Sonia to enjoy the honeymoon they never had - to Michael's continued chagrin. Yet when the going gets tough, these three opposites come together for one another and prove themselves to put the "fun" in dysfunctional family dynamic.

The first "Hitman's Bodyguard" delivered laughs in spades due to the natural chemistry and comedic prowess of Reynolds and Jackson, so you'd expect that same level of comedy to occur here - but it's oddly missing in most parts. It seems that the sequel is taking itself more seriously than it should, offering a few decent laughs but more often than not trying to be more melodramatic and action-packed than its predecessor. It's odd because a film like this just literally screams comedy, but it's missing throughout most of the film.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that Ryan Reynolds is really becoming over-saturated, and his performances all blend together in the same aloof matter: he plays the same character in almost every single film he's in (sans for his excellent work in "Buried"), and it could be that his comedic style is becoming more stale. While he did offer some humorous moments, most of the comedy came from Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek, who positively glowed like newlyweds in this film, despite their characters having been married for awhile. Jackson brings his effortless charm and linguistic mastery of the curse word to full effect once again, and Hayek radiates with sexy confidence and a fiery nature that bubbles to the surface anytime someone mentions her age, and she showcases an intense action expertise that'll serve her well as one of the newest Marvel superheroes in the upcoming "Eternals."

So what is it about this film that makes it dull? It could be the simplistic storyline, or maybe Reynolds running past his prime (time will tell with his upcoming "Free Guy" coming soon, in which the previews make him look like he'll be playing another every-man character that he's known for), or maybe it's because the movie took itself too seriously, but only a day after seeing it I already forgot a good amount of the film and besides some of the comedic moments, it really fell flat - which is unfortunate, because it looked to be amazing on paper, but something got lost in the translation.

Reuniting Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek, you'd expect "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" to be just as good as the original, but unseen forces turned it into just another lackluster sequel that's easily forgettable and utterly unmemorable.

The Score: B-