‘Blu-ray or Bust’
THE HITMAN’S
BODYGUARD (2017, R, 118 minutes, BODYGUARD PRODUCTIONS/20TH CENTURY
FOX)
Almost thirty years ago, Martin Brest redefined the road trip genre with a
little movie about a bounty hunter trying to deliver a mob accountant by a
certain day and time while being pursued by the mob and the FBI. The tale was an action/comedy/love story—a
bromance defined by violence, lots of swearing, and a menacing bad guy looking
to kill the accountant.
MIDNIGHT RUN starred none other than Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin (not
to mention the late Dennis Farina, an angry Yaphet Kotto, and a bumbling John
Ashton—all three of whom stole every single scene they were in), and the
chemistry created between these two polar opposites made for an instant
classic. Now, since 1988, there have
been several attempts to recreate that kind of frenetic comedic energy, and not
many have come close to succeeding on the same level that Brest and company
did. Writer George Gallo came close with 1995’s BAD BOYS, but even he seemed to
know that there would be no way to capitalize on RUN’s success without making
an exact copy of the original and rebranding it.
Fast-forward to 2017, and screenwriter Tom O’Connor gets pretty darn
close. Directed by Patrick Hughes (THE
EXPENDABLES III), HITMAN concerns the efforts of a bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds,
basically playing his snarky self) trying to transport a hitman (Samuel L.
Jackson, trying to drop as many mother-effers as humanly possible) to a foreign
court while being pursued by Russian baddies and INTERPOL. Sound familiar yet? Same basic concept as RUN, same formula—hell,
without giving away any spoilers, almost the same sort of resolution!
But what makes this film standout from all the previous attempts to
recreate what Brest and DeNiro and Grodin so perfectly captured is the fact
that these characters are plenty safe in the capable hands of Reynolds and
Jackson. Also, there is one outstanding
performance within the supporting cast: Salma Hayek as the hitman’s estranged
wife. If anyone comes close to
out-cursing Jackson, it is this yoga-practicing bundle of anger and spite. She continually surprises (see: SAUSAGE
PARTY) (or don’t), and here, even from behind bars, she is a force to be
reckoned with. Everyone here seems to be
having fun—enough to keep the viewer in on the joke. This is an action-comedy, not something vying
for an Oscar vote or a special place on your bookshelf. It is entertainment, pure and simple.
So, yes, there are a few issues.
Aside from plot holes, guns that never have to be reloaded and bullets
that never hit, there is also Gary Oldman doing his usual bad guy routine. And cinematographer Jules O’Laughlin
(KRAMPUS) does have a few moments that shine (the first “car chase”, which is
more of a car/boat/motorcycle chase, is a violent vehicular square dance that
is made nearly believable by the switching angles and close proximity shots
that pull you right into the action).
But many of the other shots seem standard fare—there isn’t a whole lot
new here by way of camera work, but O’Laughlin does what he can, and it seldom
distracts from what is going on onscreen.
HITMAN is worth your time and attention, if not as a mostly rollicking and
fun two hours, then at least for the nostalgia of DeNiro and Grodin. While this isn’t the same, it comes close
enough to deserve a nod of thanks for keeping the genre alive a bit longer. And you also get to hear Samuel L sing (be
sure to listen to the full version during the credits). We don’t get too many opportunities to hear
him singing his mother-effers now, do we?
Film Grade: B+
Special Features: A (your usual docs, plus a nifty little piece on the
butt-kicking women in the film)
Blu-ray Necessary: Most definitely (explosions, 563,000 gunshots, and a
decent soundtrack)
- T.S.Kummelman
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