Chemistry is a hit

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a loveletter to the absurd action comedies of the 1990s, which I grew up with.Perhaps this is the reason why I found myself enjoying this flick, despitenumerous clichéd plot points and bumbling execution.

It also succeeds on the strengthof its cast, with some fantastic chemistry between the two leads and a scriptthat presents it almost as a live-action cartoon.

We’re introduced to MichaelBryce (Reynolds) on the day his life changes forever, when his status as anAAA-certified bodyguard to high-profile targets is tarnished as a result of theunexpected murder of a rich arms dealer he’d been hired to protect. Cut to twoyears later, and Bryce is spending every day driving cheap getaway cars insteadof his preferred Jaguars, while protecting mid-level, drug-addicted lawyersfrom their pursuers as opposed to the global titans he’d been paid by before.

But Bryce is given one last shotat saving his reputation when he’s hired by his ex-girlfriend Amelia (ElodieYung), an up-and-coming Interpol agent, to guard Samuel L Jackson’s DariusKincaid - a world-renowned hitman who shares a bad professional history withMichael - for the 24 hours leading up to when Darius will be called upon as awitness against a dangerous political dictator, Vladislav Dukhovich (GaryOldman).

Of course, Dukhovich will doanything in his power to keep Darius - the one witness still alive and capableof pinning him publicly to various, different murderous acts - from making itto court alive. What follows is a predictably convoluted and messy journey withMichael and Darius through the English countryside and Amsterdam where they arebeing constantly pursued and shot at by Dukhovich’s forces.

While over half the run time inThe Hitman’s Bodyguard is dedicated to a series of chaotic and ridiculousaction sequences, the other half of the film is all about quick cuts to Jacksonand Reynolds constantly arguing and yelling at each other, usually about who’sthe better killer of the two.

It’s important to go in with theright expectations, knowing that your whole enjoyment of the movie will restand die on how much fun you think you can have watching Jackson and Reynoldsspar verbally and physically for almost two hours.

Fortunately, the pair hasmanaged to hone their onscreen personas throughout their careers, and the waythat Reynolds’ sarcastic attitude butts heads with Jackson’s flamboyantcockiness leads to more laughs than anyone could rightly expect.

The fact that The Hitman’sBodyguard manages to stay genuinely entertaining for as long as it does is atestament to the charisma of the two on screen, especially since what shouldhave been a tight 90-minute action-comedy winds up being unnecessarilystretched closer to two hours.

While Reynolds and Jackson arethe only real reasons to see this film, it does boast one hilarious supportingturn by Salma Hayek as Sonia, Darius’ independent and fierce wife, for whom hewould sacrifice everything to save.

She gives the same kind ofself-aware performance that Reynolds and Jackson do, which is to say thatinstead of shying away from or ignoring the inherent goofiness of the film’splot and characters, the trio dive headfirst into them.

They are the only trulymemorable aspects of The Hitman’s Bodyguard, as the rest falls fairly flat.Hughes’ commitment to ensuring the film’s comedy is its main focus manages tomostly make up for his stale direction of the action sequences. Although, bythe time that Jackson and Reynolds are embarking on their fifth or sixthstraight chase sequence, the film’s action can’t help but begin to feelmind-numbingly repetitive and boring, especially as director Patrick Hughessomehow finds a way to pack in more endings than The Return of the King.

Ultimately, The Hitman’sBodyguard has a winning lead duo, who lean heavily into their screen personasand then proceed to let them clash to often great comedic effect.

The film knows what it is, andlives in its ridiculous skin with an infectious, gleeful attitude.Unfortunately, it also doesn’t know when to say goodbye, and as a result,overstays its welcome.

• Showing at: Cineco, Seef II,Saar, Al Jazira, Wadi Al Sail, Mukta A2.

Rating3/5