User reviews

Banderas is now Greek. And wants to wreck havoc in the EU. Although the movie was (at times) fun and it's cool to see Samuel Jackson and Morgan Freeman in the same film, a star-packed cast can't get this film rated above 6. And 6 is already too much.

Where to start...Pace is inconsistent and compared to the 1st film there are some really boring parts. Action is focused on bang-bang and car chase, coupled with some extreme shouting from Salma Hayek. Acting is ok (if you can stand Hayek).

Storyline is outdated and exaggerated but keeps the European vibe of the first film, which is consistent.

Comedy is prevalent throughout the film and there are some good moments.

And of course...Antonio Banderas: He plays the villain, Greek billionaire Aristotle Papadopoulos, but he doesn't take the role too seriously and he still is the one and only Antonio Banderas, with the one and only Spanish accent we all know. He delivers some funny one-liners mixed with a few popular Greek words and almost looks like a villain BUT with a really weak and bad plan.

Comedian Ryan Reynolds does well in comedy.

Frank Grillo is always a nice addition, even though his role in the film is not essential.

Nice cinematography, photography and great Italian landscapes. And some truly funny moments.

Maybe since they're chasing a Greek, they should have done more shots in Greece, so it could have been more relevant. Because in the overall story the connection with Italy seemed rather weak.

To conclude, there's a few reasons to watch this film. But it's not as good as the previous one, so be prepared.

I personally enjoyed it but it's no more than a 6/10.

Been flicking through a load of the reviews on here and I seriously don't understand the hate. It's just a fun movie, just as crazy as the first one. It doesn't take itself too seriously, the jokes are funny and the action is great. What do you expect from this film? If you want to go and watch a fun, action packed film for an afternoon, go and check it out! If you're expecting some sort of classic, super high budget mind blowing phenomenon, go watch Avatar again or something.

I liked the first film I felt the chemistry between the leads was excellent. They played off of each other very well. This film has reduced Reynold's character to a version of every Tracy Morgan character. Whiney. Moronic. Irritating. I don't remember his character as such in the first film (perhaps I've just forgotten?). The addition of Banderas and Freeman were a nice touch, but they were under utilized to the point that there was no connection to them. The plot is weak and never really feels like it delivers on the "thriller" aspect. It was ok, but I'm glad it was a Redbox rental.

This film is precisely why I enjoyed the first instalment. It's so much fun!

Of course it has some issues which I'll address, but on the whole it's an entertaining, action packed film that is enjoyable in the right areas

So what's the issues? The first 45 mins or so Salma Hayek's character was really annoying. She used that OTT and loud humour which I hate and was just generally quite a jarring character. Luckily, she definitely grows on you and by the end I loved her.

The plot itself for me has one big "flaw". And that's that the villain and the plot to destroy Europe was all just a bit pointless really. The film is designed to focus on the dynamic of the 3 main characters and that's great, but there is next to no depth or info on the villain and the plot he has to destroy Europe. I have literally just turned off the film and I honestly cannot tell you the villains name.

Other than those 2 points the film maintains what made the first film great. Good humour, fun characters and a lot of action. Which, let's be honest, is what you want in an action comedy movie. Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson maintain that fun chemistry between them and it shows on screen and the added depth with Salma Hayek and Morgan Freeman just added a little more the overall dynamic which was nice.

Was it better than the first movie? I'd edge the first one personally as I found it a bit funnier. But this does keep a decent level of humour and the action is exactly what you want. Was I entertained? Yes. And ultimately that's what I want with this kind of film. 7/10 from me!

Bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is haunted from losing a client to hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). He lost his credentials in the aftermath. He's taking a sabbatical from violence and guns. He's kidnapped by Darius' wife Sonia (Salma Hayek) to join her in rescuing Darius. Then the trio gets kidnapped by Interpol to stop supervillain Aristotle Papdopolous (Antonio Banderas).

The first movie is a mess but I like the actors' chemistry. I especially like Salma Hayek's scene stealing turns. I thought that the movie needed to make the duo into a trio. In this sequel, that's exactly what happens. Salma Hayek becomes a central lead. She's as crazy as ever. I like her craziness coupled with Ryan Reynolds. The story remains a mess. Quite frankly, the plot doesn't really matter. It is frenetic to the point of chaotic. Nobody should care about the diamond drill. I just enjoy some of the moments with the three leads together. Everything else around them is a blur and there are great actors being wasted as supporting characters. What the franchise needs at this point is competent writing and a director willing to let these three actors cook for long stretches. It doesn't need a heavy hand at the wheel pushing the plot.

Sequels rarely work because it's all been done before in the original so the plot lines are usually a case of SSDD.

This is where "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" is different.

It's a fresh take on characters well established after the first movie which I also gave 70% score too upon reflection.

A number of key creatives in both cast and crew return for this sequel, which is probably why it doesn't fall into the usual sequel syndrome and fail.

Amongst those making another appearance on the big screen are Salma Hayek and Richard E. Grant, but the newbies are Antonio Banderas and Frank Grillo plus another huge name almost bigger than God!

One of the biggest surprises in this movie is the man who plays Mike Bryce's (Ryan Reynolds) father seemingly retired from Hitman duties and living in Tuscany.

Even Assassin Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) was left speechless when introduced for the first time on screen...although in real life these two actors have worked together before on stage, but not in a feature film and Jackson considers him a mentor.

It's a big year for Reynolds whose "Free Guy" is also finally being released in 2021.

Like the first film this one was also shot entirely on location in Europe with some amazing backdrops in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and the UK.

The first film put Michael Bryce into therapy, but this sequel will put him into hospital after he is hit by a car, run over by a boat, punched in the face, shot, stabbed, burnt and drowned.

He's the Road Runner of Live Action Cinema.

Get on board this second road trip from hell that even involves an E Type Jaguar.

You'll laugh till it hurts, but Im sure the stunts hurt Reynolds even more.

Hit me baby one more time with this action, comedy, crime sensation!

The Aussie Connection: Australian born Writer, Producer and Director Patrick Hughes continues to establish himself as one of Hollywoods most in demand film-makers...grossing millions worldwide at the box office.

I loved the first one than this . This movie is kind of mess . However,it's funny and of course, there are some action scenes but the story isn't good. So, it's watchable if you don't have high expectations.

A lot of the comedy seemed very forced. It had some funny moments, but just not nearly as many as the first one. I don't feel like Ryan Reynolds' character even seemed like the same character from the first movie. There was no growth for him after the first movie and it wasn't very funny. Salma Hayek's swearing seemed a little forced too. It seems to come naturally for Sam Jackson, but didn't work the same for her. If you love the first one, maybe skip this one.

Initial Thoughts: Well, it was definitely a funny movie for the first half of the film. I laughed pretty much all the way through until the action decided to finally arrive. However, constantly trying to laugh gets exhausting when you're in theatres to see an action movie. I guess doesn't really matter how many high-profile actors you put into one movie. Eventually, you hit a wall and think to yourself, "I guess this is the best we're going to get." This is especially true when you don't feel like a movie has fulfilled you.

I could nitpick each performance, but I won't bore you with all that. Instead I will mention my one peeve about the villain. Not "evil" enough and not convincing enough. Other than a little spiel at the beginning of the film I wasn't convinced of the bad side. The bad side shows up for 5 minutes and then not again until the final quarter of the movie. This film ended up being more of a comedy love affair than an actual action movie like I had hoped for. Each lead did a stellar job in their roles for a time, but like I said earlier, things just got stale. An example of staleness is it's funny the first couple times you eject from a car unscathed to be hit from somewhere else, but anything past three became boring.

The last negative I'll touch on is the visual effects. It faltered a few times throughout most notably near the end when characters are running from an explosion and they look super animated, with superspeed, doing the impossible. I know this movie needn't be taken seriously, but there's just a few things you would expect from a sequel/big budget film. Other visuals that got over used are the explosions at odd times and the endless barrage of gun fire with no reloads. Again, this same repetition of lacking, or too much, becomes tiresome.

Back to the top on comedy. This movie was definitely funny for good chunk of its time and it didn't feel forced. Others in the theatre also found the movie funny as much as I did, so I'm not entirely out to lunch. The comedy could have been reduced a bit to help focus on the story, but overall for me there, well-done. Lastly, the music for the film I thoroughly enjoyed. Like the first film I found that the music selection worked out well for the scenes they were chosen for. In some place it definitely enhanced a scene.

Overall: This film was probably 65/35 on the comedy to action ratio. I found that to be semi-bad, but still enjoyable. One should not expect a serious movie, but should be able to still find some entertainment value. If you've been waiting to see this film than I'd suggest waiting for it to stream, but if you can't wait. A cheap night at your local theatre would be the better option.

"Should I watch this movie?" My answer is 'Yes, later rather than sooner'.

Enjoy the show!

It's basically a compilation of overly loud, gory and explosive action scenes interspersed with characters shouting and swearing at each other in the name of plot progression and comedy. The plot and humour is dumb, although it is funny at times, but the slapstick style and poor casting choices make this a bad film.

The way the critics slammed this one, I was prepared for disappointment, especially considering how much I enjoyed the first one, and gave that one a 9/10. Well, two words for this one: Fkn Awesome!

The story wasn't as great or unique as the first one, but I can't remember the last time we all laughed so hard, more than the first one. I'm shocked to hear how many critics didn't find it funny. For starters, every time (>90%) Reynolds, Jackson and Hayek opened their mouths, it was legitimately LOL moments, and many belly-ache in-tears laughs, especially a scene at the end where I lost count how many of us fell off our seats dying in laughter. I mean serious ROTFLMAO laughter. I wish I could remember the last time I alone have laughed so much or so hard, and that alone is all I needed to consider this film a huge success.

Either Reynolds or Jackson alone can entertain to that level of comedy, just by opening their mouths, but both together again, wow, I can't think of a better duo, and I hope to see them both together a lot more. Their chemistry is perfect, and their contradictory personalities priceless. Thank you both, and Hayek - who also killed it, for the best laughs in a VERY long time, I (and we) REALLY needed it!

The story this time around wasn't as great as the first one, but the amazing international sets, and the addition of Morgan Freeman (oh, and you will die of laughter when he makes his entrance!), Frank Grillo and Antonio Banderas as... get this, Aristotle Papdopolous, made up, and imo, exceeded the fun, for the lack of a great cohesive story the first one had.

Sure, this film was your typical fare of over-the-top action comedy formula of violent shootouts and crazy chases, all the while going after the evil crazy rich bad guy trying to destroy part of the world - nothing really new here (do we ever really get bored of that tho? Not me.), but with every other detail added to the equation, it pretty much created the perfect formula for for the perfect kind of senseless debauchery and mayhem that was also keenly and amusingly scripted, extremely funny, violent, vulgar, profane, well-acted, "turn your brain off and have a good time with it" perfect summer blockbuster.

The cinematography was excellent, and the score and soundtrack outstanding (lol Reynolds' obsession with that Culture Club song). The pacing was on point, and I wanted more minutes on top of the 100min runtime. I rate this one .5 better than the first one for a 9.5/10, and since my stomach still hurts from laughing, I'm rounding up to a 10/10! I'll be certainly watching this again, at least one more time. I can't wait for "The Hitman's Wife's Neighbor's Best Friend's Uncle's Bodyguard" next!

Wasn't expecting much after seeing several bad reviews but I was pleasantly surprised and strongly disagree.

Packed with action, twists and expletives, the dialogue was sharp, the humour raw and unsanitized and the cast was well, well-cast.

This turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining romp and I wasn't alone. The theatre roared with laughter from start to finish.

Go see it.

The original film was great. Loved it. Original. Funny and watchable. Not Oscar winning but a great watch.

This film carries on with the fun characters and introduces a super brain numbing storyline to waste hours of our lives. I can't begin to explain how much of a parody this story is. Not in an intelligent way. But in a painfully lazy way. It is like they had to make a lockdown film and just couldn't care less if it made sense or not.

I want to write a more in depth review but this film is bad. That's all you need to know.

My wife and I settled into a nice evening looking for light, funny entertainment, so we spun up this BluRay disc from our public library. We got almost halfway when I hit 'pause' and asked, "Are you enjoying this movie?" She wasn't and I had only gone that far because she was still in the room.

On the surface the story has elements necessary to make an entertaining movie, an unlikely team of three have the task of tracking down the bad guys and saving the world. But we were overwhelmed right away by two big problems:

First all the dialog is filled with filthy language, not just a little but seemingly the script tries to put as much filthy language as is possible. Just for the sake of filling the script with filthy language. All the way through the movie. For us it would be like trying to have a nice steak at a restaurant and the waiter coming by every 30 seconds and spraying pepper sauce into our faces. Now we're not prudes, but when dialog has such pervasive filthy language then soon all meaning goes away because we find ourselves wondering "Why do they think so much filthy language is entertaining?"

The second big problem is one scene after the other after the other with gun battles. From start to finish (I skipped around after the 45 minute mark to get a feel for how the second half of the movie is presented) all we get is shooting and more shooting. Just so much that soon all meaning of the story goes away.

Now we realize some viewers really like this sort of stuff, they are entertained by it, but to us it is a mystery. There are so many good TV shows and movies, how can someone be entertained by this sort of movie? We can't comprehend it.

Salma Hayek is smoking hot!! I needed to say that again. Smoking hot! That was worth the ticket price alone.

Yeah, she was also there because she was sooo funny in the film but you have to admit how strangely progressive it is that her primary purpose in the flick was to be eye candy. Absolutely the perfect package.

Oh yeah, and Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are in the flick as well (so I noticed). If you liked the Hitman's Bodyguard you'll like the Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. It does not hurt one bit that Salma Hayek is right between them.

And Shout out to Morgan Freeman whose almost as smoking hot at 90 as Salma Hayek is in her 50s

Seriously, if you thought the original was good you;ll love the second one. It just like the first but it has Salma Hayek whose smoking hot,

Don't focus too hard on this film, just relax and have fun watching it. Some jokes may not hit, but the ones that do are good. The action is great on the big screen.

The story is very repetitive and predictable, so my rating is merely from the action, comedy and preferably the two leads of Samuel L Jackson and Salma Hayek. The new characters as well as the villan we've all seen before in every spy comedy movie ever, so that was a bit tiresome. Overall if you just want pure entertainment, this is the film to watch.

The Good- I enjoyed this film, I had a lot of fun with it. There are things this one did better than the first and overall I prefer it to the first one. There wasn't really a joke that failed to hit in this film, regardless of how dark the jokes can get. The chemistry with the main cast is great. I love what they did with the wife in this film and she is the stand out of this film while Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson are great as always. The action is fun. There was never a dull moment in this film there is always a joke or a piece of action. One thing that this film did better than the first is the depth to the characters and digging into their past.

The Bad- The story isn't great is ridiculous and doesn't really work, however it doesn't take away from the fact that this is an entertaining film.

Overall Thoughts- Although there are great action and comedy pieces of this film the story is just that bit too muddled up. Overall I'm going to give "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" a 7/10.

Then you'll like this one, it's pretty much identical in terms of storytelling and delivery of humour.

The jokes are in the same league, and they land. Luckily I got to see this in a cinema, and people laughed. I'm confident that as far as a comedy goes, this film will fly with most people, even if it's just on in the background. It's certainly not a masterpiece, I would argue it's not better than the first.

But is it a bad sequel? No. Was it as enjoyable as the first one? Yes. You can certainly tell whether or not you're going to enjoy the film within the first 20 minutes.

Don't start this film expecting it to be a logical, thoughtout story. It isn't. But it is funny, and that's what matters, at least coming at with the expectations of the previous film.

Having not completely enjoyed the original but there was a much lite fluid approach and entertaining factor along with subtle humor. This sequel, things are far more over the top, repetitive and the plot is predictable and at times confusing. It isn't nearly as fun as the original. The box office of the original was seemingly a fluke and in the end this sequel wasn't exactly necessary.

Positives:

• As a comedy thriller, it does pass the '6 laughs test' in terms of the 'comedy' element. Some of these are minor chuckles. A few are really good belly laughs.

• Among these are some of the outrageous tirades of Salma Hayek: her accent makes some of the dialogue unintelligible, but given its X-rated nature, that's not necessarily a bad thing! As a mid-50's actress (Oh God - - don't tell her I mentioned her age!), Ms Hayek indeed has an arrestingly attractive form.

• Seeing Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman on the screen is never anything other than a positive. (Although Banderas is like Sean Connery in failing to tailor his natural accent to any role he's ever in!)

Negatives:

• A general problem I have with 'comedy thrillers' is that the comedy nearly always negates any of the thrills. Ryan Reynolds is not playing Deadpool in this one, although he might as well be doing so based on the number of times he is hit by cars and other solid objects. The result is that although it has the trappings of a Bond or a Bourne - exotic locations (here, mostly Italian ones) ; exotic woman; car chases; heavily-armed henchmen; huge explosions - it delivers none of the tension or excitement. When matched with some rather dodgy post-shoot special effects, the effect is generally underwhelming.

• The plot here is shallow and ludicrous. A McGuffin involving a diamond drill tunnelling into "Europe's data hub" to implant a virus is infantile.

• If there was an award for the clumsiest movie title of 2021, we may already have a winner.

Summary Thoughts on "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard": Sequels are very occasionally better. Often they are much worse. This one, I have to say, delivers very much "more of the same". Given that the writer/director team of Tom O'Connor and Patrick Hughes are in the driving seat, that's not much of a surprise. The shtick is mildly diverting, occasionally downright funny, but quickly outstays its welcome. The 100 minute run time felt, for me, much longer.

Looking back at my 2017 review of the first film, I think I was being over-kind giving it 6/10. I think this is neither better nor worse. So if you want to average the two and give each 5/10, I wouldn't object! But, again, it's one I will struggle to remember much about in a few month's time.

(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on the web or Facebook. Thanks).

That's how you do a sequel. The movie doesn't stop. It's non stop action, comedy & all around brilliance with the perfect cast. If you loved the first I think you'd love the second. So many movie/people references that hit just right & it's constantly giving off laughs in between the seriousness. The ending had the whole cinema laughing & make sure you stay for the credit scene. Truly enjoyable!

The second instalment of hitman's bodyguard does not have the strongest storyline, but what it lacks in story it makes up in beautiful, sometimes gory action scenes and the perfectly executed jokes all throughout. This movie never ceases to make you laugh with Ryan Reynolds, Sam L Jackson and Salma Hayak playing their parts perfectly, bouncing off each other in a way that will have you laughing your heart out.

I did thoroughly enjoy the 2017 movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard", so when I saw that there was a sequel coming out and seeing that they vastly improved on the cast, I must admit that I was thrilled to get to sit down and watch the 2021 movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard".

However, while "The Hitman's Bodyguard" certainly was watchable and entertaining enough, it just didn't have the punch and the comedy that the 2017 movie offered. And it was a bit disappointing actually. And oddly so since they really upped the game with the likes of Morgan Freeman, Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas added to the cast list.

The storyline told in this 2021 sequel was just a bit too mundane in comparison to the first movie. Sure, the movie was fun and entertaining enough for what it was. Just a shame that it never managed to get up to the same level as the 2017 movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard" did.

Of course it is fun to see Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson back on the screen together. And I do admit that having Salma Hayek as part of the main cast was definitely fun, especially with her particular character and that accent.

There is a good amount of action in the movie, though it does feel a bit wasted given the movie's otherwise mundane storyline.

I must say, though, that "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" wasn't as entertaining as I had hoped. But it is adequate enough for a single viewing if you're in for an evening of some light-hearted action comedy.

And I do find it a shame that writers Phillip Murphy and Brandon Murphy didn't manage to take this 2021 movie up to the same level as its predecessor.

My rating of director Patrick Hughes' 2021 movie lands on a mediocre five out of ten stars.

I thought this film was very entertaining. It is action packed, and has lots of very funny jokes. I enjoyed it a lot.