By Jonathan Klotz | Published
For decades, Hollywood has tried to make Ryan Reynolds a leading man, ever since DeWilder And The proposal at gender rates, including RIPDwith mixed results. Reynolds was gaining recognition and his star power increased with the strength of his sarcastic public persona, but it was not until dead Pool that his name alone could sell tickets. The Hitman’s Bodyguardhis first postdead Pool film, proved that being “Ryan Reynolds” on screen was enough to attract an audience, turning the buddy action comedy starring Samuel L. Jackson into a surprising success.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard Was a Surprise Hit
In The Hitman’s BodyguardReynolds will reportedly play Michael Bryce, a disgraced, fast-talking, wise-cracking bodyguard who acts and looks a lot like Ryan Reynolds. Tasked with ensuring that Darius (Jackson), a world-class assassin, travels to The Hague to testify against the warlord president of Belarus, Dukhovich (Gary Oldman). Along the way, they break Darius’ wife Sonia (Salma Hayek) out of prison, go on the run across Europe and save their own lives several times. It’s the standard buddy-comedy road trip plot, but the charm of the two stars elevates it above the paint-by-numbers plot.
The total box office of $176 million may not seem like much compared to dead Poolbut it was enough to do The Hitman’s Bodyguard the best film for three consecutive weekends when it debuted on August 18, 2017. Reception from critics and fans was similar, with both groups giving it average ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, 44 percent rotten from critics. reviews and only 66 percent favorable from the public. Still, the film performed well enough to merit a sequel, and to this day, it’s still one of the best buddy comedies of the last decade.
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Falls Into All Sequel Traps
As for what comes next, The hitman’s wife’s bodyguardhe flips the script and Sonia recruits Bryce to save Darius. As a trio, the group takes on a manipulative billionaire, played by Antonio Banderas, and Bryce’s stepfather, Michael Sr., played by Morgan Freeman, gets involved in the action. It’s bigger than the first film, but it’s not better.
The hitman’s wife’s bodyguard launches into every possible trap for a comedy sequel, from repeating the same gags to flashbacks and, like 22 Jump Street » He brutally pointed out, doing exactly the same thing again. Released in June 2021, the film exploded in theaters, barely recouping its $70 million budget, and to say that critics savagely slammed the film would be an understatement, with a 25% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but fans l ‘loved it, giving it 79. percent fresh. Comedy is subjective, but so few blockbuster Hollywood comedies are made today that even a mediocre comedy is a breath of fresh air and makes a fun movie for a date night.
The biggest issue against both films, and there are rumors of a third, is that Ryan Reynolds plays Ryan Reynolds, and Samuel L. Jackson leans into the parody version of Samuel L. Jackson, but the fact is that the Audiences love it in every film. two. The Hitman’s Bodyguard And The hitman’s wife’s bodyguard aren’t high-level cinema, and they don’t convey a great artistic vision, but they’re fun, and sometimes that’s all you need in a movie.
Better yet, you can stream both The Hitman’s Bodyguard And The hitman’s wife’s bodyguard for free on Amazon Freevee.
