Hitman & Bodyguard 2

I did thoroughly enjoy the 2017 movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard", so when I saw that there was a sequel coming out and seeing that they vastly improved on the cast, I must admit that I was thrilled to get to sit down and watch the 2021 movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard".

However, while "The Hitman's Bodyguard" certainly was watchable and entertaining enough, it just didn't have the punch and the comedy that the 2017 movie offered. And it was a bit disappointing actually. And oddly so since they really upped the game with the likes of Morgan Freeman, Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas added to the cast list.

The storyline told in this 2021 sequel was just a bit too mundane in comparison to the first movie. Sure, the movie was fun and entertaining enough for what it was. Just a shame that it never managed to get up to the same level as the 2017 movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard" did.

Of course it is fun to see Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson back on the screen together. And I do admit that having Salma Hayek as part of the main cast was definitely fun, especially with her particular character and that accent.

There is a good amount of action in the movie, though it does feel a bit wasted given the movie's otherwise mundane storyline.

I must say, though, that "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" wasn't as entertaining as I had hoped. But it is adequate enough for a single viewing if you're in for an evening of some light-hearted action comedy.

And I do find it a shame that writers Phillip Murphy and Brandon Murphy didn't manage to take this 2021 movie up to the same level as its predecessor.

My rating of director Patrick Hughes' 2021 movie lands on a mediocre five out of ten stars.

Positives:

• As a comedy thriller, it does pass the '6 laughs test' in terms of the 'comedy' element. Some of these are minor chuckles. A few are really good belly laughs.

• Among these are some of the outrageous tirades of Salma Hayek: her accent makes some of the dialogue unintelligible, but given its X-rated nature, that's not necessarily a bad thing! As a mid-50's actress (Oh God - - don't tell her I mentioned her age!), Ms Hayek indeed has an arrestingly attractive form.

• Seeing Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman on the screen is never anything other than a positive. (Although Banderas is like Sean Connery in failing to tailor his natural accent to any role he's ever in!)

Negatives:

• A general problem I have with 'comedy thrillers' is that the comedy nearly always negates any of the thrills. Ryan Reynolds is not playing Deadpool in this one, although he might as well be doing so based on the number of times he is hit by cars and other solid objects. The result is that although it has the trappings of a Bond or a Bourne - exotic locations (here, mostly Italian ones) ; exotic woman; car chases; heavily-armed henchmen; huge explosions - it delivers none of the tension or excitement. When matched with some rather dodgy post-shoot special effects, the effect is generally underwhelming.

• The plot here is shallow and ludicrous. A McGuffin involving a diamond drill tunnelling into "Europe's data hub" to implant a virus is infantile.

• If there was an award for the clumsiest movie title of 2021, we may already have a winner.

Summary Thoughts on "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard": Sequels are very occasionally better. Often they are much worse. This one, I have to say, delivers very much "more of the same". Given that the writer/director team of Tom O'Connor and Patrick Hughes are in the driving seat, that's not much of a surprise. The shtick is mildly diverting, occasionally downright funny, but quickly outstays its welcome. The 100 minute run time felt, for me, much longer.

Looking back at my 2017 review of the first film, I think I was being over-kind giving it 6/10. I think this is neither better nor worse. So if you want to average the two and give each 5/10, I wouldn't object! But, again, it's one I will struggle to remember much about in a few month's time.

(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on the web or Facebook. Thanks).

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.

I loved the first one than this . This movie is kind of mess . However,it's funny and of course, there are some action scenes but the story isn't good. So, it's watchable if you don't have high expectations.

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.