Mr. Movie review: ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is the latest in a long line of delightful R-rated buddy flicks packed with raw language, gun fights and car chases. When they’re done right, almost no movie genre is more fun.

Ryan Reynolds is Michael Bryce, whose firm specialized in high-risk security. When one of his biggest clients is assassinated, his star-status falls. Two years later, circumstances have him guarding unimportant low-lifes.

His ex-girlfriend works for the British government, and her security group is charged with moving an assassin of great importance to Interpol in the Netherlands. He is needed to testify against an evil dictator who has been deposed and wants power back. When all in her detail are killed, she convinces Bryce to help, even though he and the assassin are sworn enemies.

Samuel L. Jackson is hitman Darius Kincaid and Gary Oldman — who else? — plays the dictator.

This brand of movie depends deeply on chemistry and a script that punctuates that chemistry. Reynolds and Jackson have it in spades and toss off zinger one-liners and hilarious bits of conversation that anchor the film’s action sequences. Humor always makes the unbelievable — and this film is totally unbelievable — believable.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is done by two relatively new filmmakers: director Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3), and Tom O’Conner, who wrote the little-seen Bruce Willis flick Fire with Fire. Using no-holds-barred-but-very-overused filming techniques, the two forge ahead and create a film that mimics — but still honors — classics like Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, Midnight Run, Beverly Hills Cop and Red. Soon, The Hitman’s Bodyguard may join them.

Putting it plain and simple, this is the year’s best guilty pleasure.

This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Mr. Movie review: ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’."