Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard review: Laborious ordeal despite star cast including Ryan Reynolds

2.5/5

Story:

Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is left a broken man after the events of the first film. His therapist recommends that he should focus more on getting a vacation rather than putting all his efforts into getting his AAA bodyguard license back. His vacation doesn’t last long after Sonia Kincaid (Salam Hayek) finds him to help save her husband, Darius Kincaid (Samuel L Jackson) from an Italian gangster. As fate would have it, the gangster was under surveillance by Interpol as part of an investigation into a terror plot.

Review:

The first film was a success because of its unique plot devices, characters, the chemistry between the characters, and its mix of character-driven and plot-driven narratives. However, the same formula in the action-comedy appears to have gone stale. The overall plot has several subplots scattered throughout the film, and at times, it becomes a chore to keep track of everything. Of course, if these subplots added value to the film, there would have been an incentive for the viewers to keep track of them but, unfortunately, that is not the case.

Frank Grillo’s character, Bobby O'Neill, showed a lot of promise earlier in the film, but quickly faded away. Bobby O’Neill, an Irish-American, and his partner Aislo (Alice McMillan), who is Scottish, could’ve been an interesting subplot. Halfway through the movie, these characters are completely forgotten and make a reappearance at the very end of the film, which is surprising because Bobby O’Neill’s introduction gives the impression that he is vital to the narrative.

In other words, the narrative is incoherent, and the addition of Morgan Freeman as Ryan Reynold’s father in the film is shoehorned into the storyline. Antonio Bendaris on the other hand plays a convincing villain as Aristotle Papdopolous even though his character is a cliche. The choice of casting Antonio Bendaris in a film featuring Salma Hayek is an obvious attempt at tapping into nostalgia from films such as Frida, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time Mexico. In fact, even Ryan Reynolds plays a version of an anti-Deadpool in the film.

The most disappointing aspect of the film was the fact that it fails to be even remotely as funny as the first one, partly because of how the tropes were already used in the first film. The rivalry between Michael Bryce and Magnusson (Tom Hopper) was one of the few moments where the film came to life. The performances by the lead actors and their on-screen chemistry are the only saving grace for the film and rendered even remotely watchable. And there is something to cheer about for fans of Marvel comics because it might be the only time where they get to see Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Crossbones (Frank Grillo) share a screen.

Verdict:

The film, directed by Patrick Hughes, is an amalgamation of too many moving parts which has resulted in an incoherent over-bloated mess.