Action, laughter, and epicness are all that the duo of Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson deliver in the film "Hard to Handle," directed by Patrick Hughes, a master of action films known for films like "Red Hill" and "The Expendables 3," both of which are pure action. However, this one is different from his other projects because it incorporates a comedy element.
This film tells the story of Michael, played by Ryan Reynolds, a world-renowned bodyguard until one of his clients dies and his career is destroyed. Years later, an Interpol agent needs his support protecting Darius Kincaid, played by Samuel L. Jackson, a murderer who is temporarily released from prison to testify in the trial of Vladislav Dukhovich, a corrupt politician from Belarus. The latter will do everything possible to ensure that Darius doesn't make it to court, since if he does, he'll lose the case.
This film is obviously not new to the genre. There are already several films with similar duos, such as "Bad Boys," "Blind Spy," or "Ride Along the Way," where one is a comedy and the other an actioner. The downside to these films is that the action is often overshadowed by the comedy, which is why these films end up being PG-13. However, this film is rated B-15 because they managed to understand and achieve an exceptional balance between action and comedy, with very well-planned choreography and very well-executed scenes.
In this film, the star actors play the same roles they always do: Ryan Reynolds plays the role of an action figure who handles sarcasm, Samuel L. Jackson is an action machine, and Salma Hayek plays a Latina woman with a few stereotypes. The acting is fine, as it's what they know how to do, but it's not the big novelty or change in this production.
In conclusion, this film is good, but not great. Although it has very well-done action scenes and the jokes don't feel forced at any point, the performances don't disappoint. However, I would recommend watching it in English or with subtitles, since the dubbing isn't that good.
