FILMS - The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD 2, directed by Patrick Hughes, 2021
CRAZY, CRAZIER, THE BODYGUARD – AGAIN

The sequel to the 2017 action hit, 2021's “The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard 2” reunites the unlikely trio of Reynolds, Jackson, and Hayek on a frenetic, wandering mission across Europe filled with gunfire, explosions, swearing, and improvised humor.

After a professional debacle, once-elite bodyguard Michael Bryce tries to find peace on vacation in Italy, where a therapist, brilliantly played by Caroline Goodall, advises him to stay away from violence. At first, this seems impossible to him, but somehow, he manages to accept it and even tries to implement it. His peace is short-lived, as the fiery Sonia Kincaid appears and draws him into a plan to save her husband Darius. Their chaotic dynamic is further spiced up this time by the pursuit of a sinister device in the hands of the megalomaniac villain Aristotle, played by Antonio Banderas, whose plan to destroy Europe sounds poorly developed, while his Spanish accent is English, terribly funny considering he's playing a Greek. A large-scale operation with international consequences is about to begin.

The film openly makes fun of spy clichés, because instead of the sophisticated conspiracies and cold elegance of, say, James Bond, here are bursts of curses, improvised gags, a handful of fixed ideas, violent slapstick and caricatured villains. Ryan Reynolds excels again in the role of a neurotic professional who constantly loses control, Samuel L. Jackson brings his distinctive style and loud confidence, while Salma Hayek excels as a woman who takes the initiative and blows up everything in front of her, without any tactics.

The chemistry between Hayek and Banderas (after more than two decades since “Desperado”) remains irresistible, while Morgan Freeman's cameo as Bryce's father adds an unexpected blend of comedy and self-parody, and he fits in perfectly with the entire ensemble cast. The presence of two acting legends, Freeman and Jackson, in the same film cannot go unnoticed and gives the film additional weight and attractiveness. When asked about the film, the director specifically highlights the incredible combination of Reynolds and Jackson in the shot, which makes them a classic odd couple, and their characters like "slag". Darius Kincaid, with his cool charm opposite Michael Bryce's sarcastic obsessive-compulsive disorder, creates a dramatic charge beyond measure.

Reynolds and Jackson maintain this forced, intolerant and somewhat codependent dynamic in the shot, with Hayek constantly shouting and buzzing over their heads, adding even more layers of humour. The plot has one “flaw” - and that is that the villain and the plot to destroy Europe are a bit pointless, but that is actually the goal, a chase for the sake of a chase. However, the entire plot here is a framework for a continuous exchange of antics, physical humour and explosive clashes of the “killer trio”. Thus, the villain and his conspiracy are almost irrelevant, because the film openly focuses on the trio with killer charisma, their arguments, screams, chases and action stunts. In this sense, “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard 2” is a full-blooded action carnival without the need for narrative logic.

There is nothing really new here that could be highlighted, but with every additional detail it creates the perfect formula of senseless debauchery and chaos that is both sharp and funny, extremely funny, violent, vulgar, well-acted summer movie in the style of turning off your brain and having a good time. It's a fun movie, just as crazy as the first one and not to be taken too seriously. Some of the jokes are genuinely funny, but overall, the humour is nothing better than in the first part.

Patrick Hughes and cinematographer Terry Stacey shape this comic-style spy comedy into an energetic summer blockbuster – with plenty of blood, charisma, swearing, self-irony and parody of any serious dramatic plot. Visually, the film is very powerful: the photography is attractive, the locations, including the Istrian landscapes and vistas, are various and beautiful, and the pace is almost without pause. The soundtrack further enhances the impression of an unstoppable adrenaline rush, in which everything is subordinated to dynamics and fun. Reynolds' obsession with the Culture Club song is a great idea, and an excellent building block for his character arc.

Ultimately, "The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard 2" doesn’t try to be anything more than what it is: a high-octane, goofy, self-aware action-packed thriller. The humour is sometimes brilliant, sometimes full of clichés, but always aimed at surprising and, ideally, shocking. While weaker than the first part in terms of originality, this sequel still manages to offer enough explosive fun to justify its existence and make you laugh once again. The film was shot in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and the United Kingdom, and whatever the case, it works best when the brain is turned off and the senses are left to the chaos.