By means of Jonathan Klotz
| PUBLISHED
For decades, Hollywood has been trying to make Ryan Reynolds a leading man, from From Wilder and The Proposal of genre fare including RIPDwith mixed results. Reynolds became famous, and his star power rose on the strength of his sarcastic public persona, but until Deadpool that only his name can sell tickets. Hitman’s bodyguardhis first post-Deadpool film, proving that being “Ryan Reynolds” on screen is enough to bring an audience, turning the buddy-action comedy into Samuel L. Jackson in a surprising hit.
Hitman’s Bodyguard Is A Surprise Hit
on Hitman’s bodyguardReynolds is said to be playing Michael Bryce, a fast-talking, wise-cracking disgraced bodyguard who happens to act and sound like Ryan Reynolds. Tasked with ensuring that Darius (Jackson), a world-class assassin, goes to The Hague to testify against the warlord President of Belarus, Dukhovich (Gary Oldman). On the way, they break up Darius’s wife, Sonia (Salma Hayek), break out of prison, run across Europe, and save each other’s lives multiple times. It’s the standard buddy-comedy road trip plot, but the sheer charm of the two stars elevates it above a paint-by-numbers plot.
The box office total of $176 million probably doesn’t pale in comparison Deadpoolbut it is enough to make Hitman’s bodyguard the first film for three consecutive weekends when it debuted on August 18, 2017. Critical and fan reception is similar, with both groups giving it middling marks rotten tomatoes44 percent bad from critics and only 66 percent favorable from the public. However, it did enough to get a sequel, and to this day, it’s still one of the best buddy comedies of the last decade.
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Falls into Every Sequel Trap
As for the sequel, Bodyguard of Hitman’s Wifeit flips the script and Sonia recruits Bryce to save Darius. As a trio, the group goes up against a manipulative billionaire, played by Antonio Banderasand Bryce’s stepdad, Michael Sr., played by Morgan Freeman, gets in on the action. It’s bigger than the first film, but it’s not better.
Bodyguard of Hitman’s Wife steps in every trap possible for a comedy series, from repeating the same gags to shoehorning in throwbacks and, as 22 Jump Street brutally targeted, doing the same thing again. Released in June 2021, the film bombed in theaters, barely recouping its budget of $70 million, and to say that critics saved the film is an understatement, with a 25 percent Rotten rating. Tomatoes, but fans love it, giving it 79 percent freshness. Comedy is subjective, but there are so few Hollywood blockbuster buddy comedies being made today that even a subpar one is a breath of fresh air and makes for a fun date night movie.
The biggest knock against both films, and there are rumors of a third, is that Ryan Reynolds Ryan Reynolds, and Samuel L. Jackson rely on the parody version of Samuel L. Jackson, but the thing is, the audience likes each of them. Hitman’s bodyguard and Bodyguard of Hitman’s Wife not highbrow cinema, and they don’t offer a great artistic vision, but it’s fun, and sometimes, that’s all you need in a movie.
Best of all, you can stream both Hitman’s bodyguard and Bodyguard of Hitman’s Wife free on Amazon Freevee.
