Killer's Bodyguard 2

Bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is haunted from losing a client to hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). He lost his credentials in the aftermath. He's taking a sabbatical from violence and guns. He's kidnapped by Darius' wife Sonia (Salma Hayek) to join her in rescuing Darius. Then the trio gets kidnapped by Interpol to stop supervillain Aristotle Papdopolous (Antonio Banderas).

The first movie is a mess but I like the actors' chemistry. I especially like Salma Hayek's scene stealing turns. I thought that the movie needed to make the duo into a trio. In this sequel, that's exactly what happens. Salma Hayek becomes a central lead. She's as crazy as ever. I like her craziness coupled with Ryan Reynolds. The story remains a mess. Quite frankly, the plot doesn't really matter. It is frenetic to the point of chaotic. Nobody should care about the diamond drill. I just enjoy some of the moments with the three leads together. Everything else around them is a blur and there are great actors being wasted as supporting characters. What the franchise needs at this point is competent writing and a director willing to let these three actors cook for long stretches. It doesn't need a heavy hand at the wheel pushing the plot.

Banderas is now Greek. And wants to wreck havoc in the EU. Although the movie was (at times) fun and it's cool to see Samuel Jackson and Morgan Freeman in the same film, a star-packed cast can't get this film rated above 6. And 6 is already too much.

Where to start...Pace is inconsistent and compared to the 1st film there are some really boring parts. Action is focused on bang-bang and car chase, coupled with some extreme shouting from Salma Hayek. Acting is ok (if you can stand Hayek).

Storyline is outdated and exaggerated but keeps the European vibe of the first film, which is consistent.

Comedy is prevalent throughout the film and there are some good moments.

And of course...Antonio Banderas: He plays the villain, Greek billionaire Aristotle Papadopoulos, but he doesn't take the role too seriously and he still is the one and only Antonio Banderas, with the one and only Spanish accent we all know. He delivers some funny one-liners mixed with a few popular Greek words and almost looks like a villain BUT with a really weak and bad plan.

Comedian Ryan Reynolds does well in comedy.

Frank Grillo is always a nice addition, even though his role in the film is not essential.

Nice cinematography, photography and great Italian landscapes. And some truly funny moments.

Maybe since they're chasing a Greek, they should have done more shots in Greece, so it could have been more relevant. Because in the overall story the connection with Italy seemed rather weak.

To conclude, there's a few reasons to watch this film. But it's not as good as the previous one, so be prepared.

I personally enjoyed it but it's no more than a 6/10.

I thought this film was very entertaining. It is action packed, and has lots of very funny jokes. I enjoyed it a lot.

I liked the first film I felt the chemistry between the leads was excellent. They played off of each other very well. This film has reduced Reynold's character to a version of every Tracy Morgan character. Whiney. Moronic. Irritating. I don't remember his character as such in the first film (perhaps I've just forgotten?). The addition of Banderas and Freeman were a nice touch, but they were under utilized to the point that there was no connection to them. The plot is weak and never really feels like it delivers on the "thriller" aspect. It was ok, but I'm glad it was a Redbox rental.

This film is precisely why I enjoyed the first instalment. It's so much fun!

Of course it has some issues which I'll address, but on the whole it's an entertaining, action packed film that is enjoyable in the right areas

So what's the issues? The first 45 mins or so Salma Hayek's character was really annoying. She used that OTT and loud humour which I hate and was just generally quite a jarring character. Luckily, she definitely grows on you and by the end I loved her.

The plot itself for me has one big "flaw". And that's that the villain and the plot to destroy Europe was all just a bit pointless really. The film is designed to focus on the dynamic of the 3 main characters and that's great, but there is next to no depth or info on the villain and the plot he has to destroy Europe. I have literally just turned off the film and I honestly cannot tell you the villains name.

Other than those 2 points the film maintains what made the first film great. Good humour, fun characters and a lot of action. Which, let's be honest, is what you want in an action comedy movie. Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson maintain that fun chemistry between them and it shows on screen and the added depth with Salma Hayek and Morgan Freeman just added a little more the overall dynamic which was nice.

Was it better than the first movie? I'd edge the first one personally as I found it a bit funnier. But this does keep a decent level of humour and the action is exactly what you want. Was I entertained? Yes. And ultimately that's what I want with this kind of film. 7/10 from me!