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★★★★
Directed by Patrick Hughes
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Elodie Yung, Gary Oldman
Film Review by Niall Maggs
This is a hard movie to review. The Hitman's Bodyguard isn't intended to win all the Oscars at award season, nor is it trying to go down as one of the greatest films of all time, it's simply made for the audience's enjoyment, and nothing else. The movie knows what it is, and doesn't shy away from being silly and over the top, but sometimes this is just the type of film you'll want to see, to escape reality and have a decent time.
In terms of quality, it's pretty average with good action sequences and entertaining one-liners, which is what you sign up for with Sam Jackson, and hilarious dialogue that is genuinely funny! But in terms of enjoyment, it's great fun and arguably one of the most exhilarating and entertaining movies of the year!
The stand out performance is easily Gary Oldman as the 'bad guy'. He's perfect in this role, and it was a pleasant surprise to see such phenomenal performances in a big budget action movie. He was intimidating and evil, a character who kills innocent people, making your blood boil in anger, which makes the payoff and climax even more satisfying!
Samuel L. Jackson is obviously the biggest star in this film, and for obvious reasons. He brought a familiar presence to the screen that we all love, and no one could of pulled off the role better than him! His quick one-liners were hysterical, and his character in general was excellent. We've seen this type of character hundreds of times before which is when the film enters cliché territory, but Jackson's performance more than makes up for it!
The overall plot was actually original, and something that seemed fresh for once, and not the same rehashed story over and over again like every other action movie in recent times. Patrick Hughes' direction was also very good, and told the story in a unique way which created nail-biting tension and explosive action, giving us characters to root for and managed to bring them to life In spectacular fashion.
Jules O'Loughlin's cinematography was average, but this didn't really stand out due to the charismatic performances given from the cast. Also, the editing was quite jumpy in parts and hard to follow as there was a lot going on in every scene.
The humour was great, with a hilarious screenplay written by Tom O'Connor that lightened the mood, plus an upbeat soundtrack that ensures everyone has an absolute blast whether your in the cinema or at home!
Overall, The Hitman's Bodyguard was an entertaining experience, and I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes to have a great time with action films.
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