Review: ‘Hitman’s Bodyguard Wife’ Likely To Be A Hit Thanks To Our Woke Age

Under normal circumstances, audiences would have responded to 2017’s “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” for what it was — a B-rate bit of forgettable hijinx that would never have drawn the talents of a Ryan Reynolds or a Samuel L Jackson. Instead, armed with the straight-A’ist of A listers, the movie made a surprising $76 million on a $30 million budget, despite earning the ire of most critics.

The secret of the film’s success was pretty simple — it had very little competition. The buddy-comedies that used to be a fun staple of summer movies have not-so-slowly-but-surely disappeared in an age too sensitive for the shoot-outs and raunchy punchlines that typically appeal to men. Thus, the number of projects for comedic actors of Reynolds and Jacksons’ caliber — jokers who specialize in the outrageous and offensive — are few and far between. If you don’t have to work that hard to get them to sign on to your project, you won’t. 

And so, audiences starved for something not approved by the sensitivity police were happy to turn out for a mediocre script featuring expensive set design and even more expensive stars.

Which isn’t to say that either the first film or the sequel hitting theaters on June 16, “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” are a complete waste of time. The set up of an uptight, by-the-book bodyguard partnering with the loose-living hitman who took out his last client to save Europe from a villain with an exaggerated accent is an engaging premise. And though the plot doesn’t do as much with it as it could, Reynolds and Jackson seem to be having a good time making the most of what little there is, as does Morgan Freeman in an against-type cameo.

As the wife of the title, Salma Hayek proves once again that she has an unmined talent for comedy, leaning into the stereotypes of both a fiery Latina and an insecure middle-aged woman who flies into a murderous rage anytime someone mentions her age. Promoting her from bit player to central star may be the only improvement in this second outing. Though the chance to see her reunited with Antonio Banderas is also worth the price of admission, even if little else is.

But other than Hayek, there’s nothing here you haven’t seen before from all of these stars in better films ten years ago. Australian director Patrick Hughes (“The Expendables 3”) seems to know he’s the only game in town, and puts in even less effort in this outing making us believe that an international spy organization would turn to this motley crew for help. 

The lesson Hollywood should take from “The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife’s” inevitable box-office success is that if you build politically-incorrect action comedies, audiences will come. Jokes that would have felt old hat even five years ago — questions about Reynold’s sexuality, cliches about his and Jackson’s cultural backgrounds — suddenly take on the luster of forbidden fruit. A truly gonzo comedy like “The Hangover” would make a mint.

There’s a harvest out there ripe for the picking, it only takes a couple of studios to remember that they like money more than they fear the censure of woke scolds.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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