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Now that the world is starting to open up again, airport traffic has picked up. In New York, a man was detained by TSA agents for having paprika, sea salt, oregano, cumin, red pepper and garlic powder in his carry-on luggage.
He was allowed to proceed; apparently, he was a seasoned traveler.
I like to sprinkle those stories in my reviews – it spices things up.
In teaching my film classes, the aspects of the sequel and why studios tend to follow that path is a common discussion point. Most of the time, money is the motivating factor. If the original achieved a sizeable box office take, the second film has a built-in fan base to bring it back. Obviously, the movie business runs on the financial returns of the investments, so making a followup film (or a series of them) boils down to dollars and cents. If it makes dollars, it makes sense.
That is the big studio perspective, yet writers and directors always like to be creative and develop another story around the characters within the cast. Occasionally, a side or secondary character gets so much “love” from audiences that they become the focal point of the next story (romance novel series have done this for years). Such is the case with Patrick Hughes’ latest action-comedy, “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.”
Originally set three years after “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” (the pandemic pushed back the release date), we find Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) getting set to claim an award for being “bodyguard of the year.” In a sequence that appears more over the top than real, we quickly realize he is having a dream. It turns out he is at his therapist’s office explaining ongoing issues that have affected him since his interaction with Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson).
Advised to get some R & R (plus, the therapist really wants him out of her office), Bryce heads to Italy for a cleansing vacation away from body guarding, killing and, most of all, guns. His sabbatical lasts all of 12 hours, when Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) pulls him into a gunfight (literally). She tells him her husband needs his help, and off they go to see him.
As it turns out, a Greek billionaire named Aristotle Papadopolous (Antonio Banderas), upset that his beloved country is being kicked out of the European Union, plans a cyberattack on the electronic infrastructure, intending to cause total chaos. Drawn into a never-ending stretch of car chases and gunfights, Bryce is forced back into action with the Kincaids to stop Papadopolous. Stuck in the deadly game, only a man named Senior (Morgan Freeman), the greatest bodyguard of all time, can help the trio before it is too late.
As mentioned before, sequels have a built-in fan base, and with the success of the first film (and the popularity of Sonia in a very small role), Hughes and his team look to rekindle the “odd couple with guns” excitement they captured with the first one. The story is not nearly as defined this time around. We understand that Sonia is a con woman by trade, but the audience will have some trouble distinguishing what the motivations are of any of the main characters (outside of Sonia really wanting a baby).
Despite being light on story, the film actually flows really well. Sequences are violent, yet the banter between the characters lightens the mood considerably. Bryce’s “boring is best” motto is challenged by Darius, the assassin who is “unkillable.” Judging by the amount of bullets flying by him, it might be completely true. Sonia is focused on her desire to be a mother, and her conversations with Bryce are awkward, way over-the-top, sprinkled with cursing, matter-of-fact observations, but deeply hysterical. The exchange on the boat with a group of nuns sitting within earshot is blushingly funny, and captured wonderfully by a talented director.
The acting is really good, too. Yes, Samuel L. Jackson is in a lot of films, but he plays Kincaid with such a natural charm, you can’t help but like him. Reynolds bounces off him extremely well, almost like polar opposites each good at what they do. It is Hayek’s show though. She is in a hot role – one part firecracker, one part wife, one part assassin, one part sexy model all wrapped together with a mouth like a trucker and a disdain for the rules of authority. You think Jackson is adept at his signature profanity? Hayek is Shakespeare with it.
Banderas’ performance fits in well with his other co-stars as he moves slowly behind them, setting up his plan. Morgan Freeman is like the topping on a sundae, smooth and velvety. Let’s not forget the action scenes, which are on par with the original. The climatic fight is staged in six different places, and Hughes delivers a great knockout punch at the end. Be sure to stick around for a mid-credit scene that will leave you with one more laugh, and fuel for another film with these three characters.
The movie is in theaters, and clocks in at 99 minutes. The R rating stands for “right on” because this film doesn’t leave anything out. The violence is excessive and at times quite stomach-churning (especially with some of the early victims), and the fight scenes are gory and bloody. The dialogue is smart and funny, but even sailors might blush at the language used by just about everyone. There are a couple of “intimate” scenes that are funny and vomit-inducing (Jackson and Hayek play it up), but there is no “skin” outside of a top showing off Hayek’s assets (again done for comedic effect).
It is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, but it is a fun film that will have you laughing as you leave the theater. And who couldn’t use that?
Until next week, happy viewing!
• Jim Stockwell is a tenured instructor of film and broadcast journalism at McHenry County College, teaching Introduction to Film, Advanced Film and Introduction to Public Speaking.