Tag: Samuel L. Jackson

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

Post author By Mark
Post date June 30, 2021

Do you remember the throwaway action flicks of the mid 2000’s? Films like Mr and Mrs Smith or Sahara that you immediately know by reputation or the poster but couldn’t remember a single scene of if pressed? That’s the category that Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard falls into: a truly unmemorable action flick that has a few funny scenes and is entertaining in the moment but one that you will never think about again after watching. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – there is a place for those kind of easy watches that don’t require much brainpower, but the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is such a mindless cash grab, completely wasting its all-star cast in a mess of a story that it is hard to recommend to even the most easily pleased audience members.

Following his successful thwarting of Belarussian dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) in the previous film, the now former AAA rated bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) has taken a sabbatical, retreating to an island resort in an attempt to clear his mind of the trauma he endured saving master criminal Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). That peace is soon interrupted in spectacular fashion as Kincaid’s wife Sonia (Salma Hayek) bursts onto the scene, on the hunt for her husband who has been kidnapped by local gangsters. Once the trio is reunited the real story takes shape, as they are approached by Interpol and charged with taking down Aristotle Papadopolous, a corrupt billionaire who has taken it upon himself to save his beloved Greece by sabotaging the European Union’s power grid, essentially destroying Europe.

From here the film is non-stop bickering as Reynolds and Jackson are left to go at each other, with Reynolds given free reign to improvise and spew out jokes, some of them good, some of them not, none of them staying in your mind long enough to be processed before the next comes flying out. It’s easily the best aspect of the film, with a tongue-in-cheek tone that never takes itself too seriously (there’s even a hilarious call-out to Reynolds many well-known business ventures outside Hollywood). To call it a parody of other self-serious films in the action genre might be a step too far however, as director Patrick Hughes doesn’t seem to have any insightful commentary to make in that regard, rather falling on the conventions of the genre in the laziest way as a skeleton for the jokes to be built around. The only time that structure is ever changed is if it lends itself to a zany concept or intricate joke laid by Reynolds and those vary in their quality greatly.

The most divisive of these centres around the character played by Morgan Freeman. It’s an incredibly juvenile laugh that is plain to see as soon as it is announced, but Reynolds and Jackson dance around it for the next five to ten minutes, extending the joke to ridiculous proportions without ever introducing a new punchline. Reynolds acts as something of a double-edged sword in this regard. He is the heart of the film and carries almost every single scene with his madcap energy and constant quipping but in doing so prevents anyone else around him from having all that much to contribute. It’s a shame then that his character undergoes the least change, essentially ending the film as he started it where other characters with far more going for them are left with rushed arcs that don’t really allow for much emotional resonance. Salma Hayek tries her damn heart out with a truly over-the-top insane performance as the gun-toting, foul-mouthed assassin, constantly fighting with her hitman husband but desperate to have his baby. There are a couple of scenes where she tries to deliver some genuine emotion but these are quickly swept away in the wake of a Reynolds punchline. Jackson’s character is also overshadowed in this manner and proceeds on autopilot, while the great Antonio Banderas is barely even seen: a true waste.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard really doesn’t have much to offer its audience outside of acting as the Ryan Reynolds show. If you’re a fan of his public persona, full of subtle jabs and self-deprecating digs, then you will likely find some enjoyment in watching him do just that for 100 minutes. Unfortunately the film fails in every other aspect, with Reynolds overshadowing his talented cast in a clunky, rote adventure that likely landed its stars a lavish holiday whilst providing the audience little more than something to look at for a while. There is a reason these types of films died out in the 2010’s: for every solid little gem that offers true mindless escapism that audiences love there are twice as many hollow, pay-check makers that leave your consciousness as soon as they enter.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo, Gary Oldman, Tom Hopper, Richard E. Grant & Morgan Freeman – In cinemas now.

3.5/10

Tags Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo, Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, Morgan Freeman, Patrick Hughes, Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hopper

Movie Reviews

Spiral: From the Book of Saw

Post author By Mark
Post date May 23, 2021

You know the game by now. Gory kills, convoluted lore and ridiculous third act twists are par for the course in the now 9 film-spanning Saw franchise, but new entry and alleged spin-off Spiral aims to change things up a bit. With a starring turn from Chris Rock – who helped spearhead the franchise revival – and a socially aware storyline that seeks to take aim at police brutality in America, Spiral was shaping up to follow in the footsteps of the recent Halloween reboot: a return to what made the franchise great, updated for modern times with a slightly comedic edge. Unfortunately, Spiral is largely more of the same from the series that coined the term “torture porn”, a lacklustre sequel that admittedly places more emphasis on story this time around, but at the expense of the kills the franchise has become synonymous with.

Rock is Zeke Banks, a hot-headed, tough-as-nails detective whose stock at the station is at an all-time-low after informing on a corrupt colleague, isolating him from his fellow detectives. When his closest friend on the force is discovered brutally dismembered by a train, Zeke and rookie detective William (Max Minghella) are thrust into a brutal battle of wits against a mysterious, pig-masked killer channelling the behaviours and gory, over-the-top traps of the deceased Jigsaw killer. As the game becomes increasingly deadly and more and more police turn up in body-bags, Zeke is forced to turn to his father and former police chief Marcus (Samuel L. Jackson) for help in tracking down their copycat killer. As with all Jigsaw games however, there is another motive bubbling under the surface, and soon Zeke finds himself confronted with some deeply disturbing personal choices to be made in order to finally bring about justice.

Spiral doesn’t need to be a Saw film. Plain and simple. The “Book of Saw” suffix and throwaway references to Jigsaw could be completely removed without any resulting effect on the story being told. None of the characters or events are tied to the lore in any significant way leaving the traps – which admittedly bear the same gruesome, handmade aesthetic of the original films – as the sole identifier of the connection to the Saw franchise. If Rock and director Darren Lynn Bousman’s intentions were to create a police procedural with a statement on brutality and its place in the current world (which it very much seems like they are), then dialling the traps down could have actually improved the impact of that message. As it stands, the traps serve as a reminder that this is, in the loosest sense possible, indeed a part of the series and the attachment to Saw seems more like a marketing ploy than anything else, luring fans into the cinema who may otherwise not turn up for Chris Rock’s gritty detective movie.

As far as those traps go, none of them are especially memorable or more gruesome than anything that has come before. The old-school editing and style choices of the 2000’s films make an unwelcome return as well, with lightning quick edits across the gore and the sharp, screeching screams punctuating each cut annoying instead of frightening. Horror has evolved in the time since these practices were at their peak and countless horror films since have shown that you can have your characters express genuine emotion and hysteria through solid acting and camera placement rather than cheap effects. Spiral is also the most ear-splittingly loud horror film since 2017’s IT, another victim of the worst modern horror trope that requires each and every jump scare to be punctuated by a sound-barrier breaking screech. On top of that Spiral is also an especially ugly film, with a grimy brown and yellow colour palette that worked in the older films within their dingy warehouse settings but robs the city of Los Angeles of any vibrance or colour that might serve as a reprieve from the dour goings-on of the police precinct.

Now we get to the interesting part: Chris Rock. He is the first big-name talent attached to the franchise since Danny Glover all the way back in the original and, along with Samuel L. Jackson, instantly adds a pedigree to a series that has long since been regarded as trashy B-movies. His performance is an intriguing one, a mix of grizzled veteran detective stereotypes rolled into one hugely unlikeable bastard. At first it seems unclear if this is meant as parody or not but soon the self-awareness of the performance comes through in the shots of humour expected from Rock. Unfortunately the character is never fully fleshed out enough to be sympathetic, even with the multiple flashbacks that give insight into his relationships with his father and fellow officers. Jackson is always great and his top-notch delivery of foul-mouthed tirades goes a long way to injecting some energy into the film, but it is far too little too late in the piece to save audiences from the all encompassing blandness of Spiral, with Jackson’s big set-piece an especially predictable affair devoid of any tension.

Spiral is yet another forgettable entry into the once revolutionary Saw franchise, albeit one that pushes itself into the middle of the pack thanks to Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson’s natural charisma (and the godawful terribleness of some of the other sequels). But the ugly presentation, lacklustre traps and middling, predictable story stop this reboot from truly reinventing, with its social commentary coming across as a hollow re-skinning of the same old Saw rather than a thoughtful examination of police brutality and accountability. If you’re a fan of the franchise you’ll likely be disappointed by the lack of any connection to what has come before but if all you’re after is a few extremely gory torture scenes, well then this has you covered I guess. For everyone else, decline to play this particular game.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw stars Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols & Samuel L. Jackson – In cinemas now.

Tags Chris Rock, Darren Lynn Bousman, Marisol Nichols, Max Minghella, Samuel L. Jackson, Saw, Spiral

Movie Reviews

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Post author By Mark
Post date July 2, 2019

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has come a long way. From the first time he swung into frame in Captain America: Civil War to say “Hey everyone”, audiences knew there was something special about his interpretation of the character. Holland has continued to prove himself as the best actor to pull on the red and blue tights, nailing Peter Parker’s internal conflict that comes from balancing crime fighting and schoolwork, and the character’s development through his solo film and the previous two Avengers films has been one of the strongest points of the MCU. With Spider-Man: Far From Home,returning director Jon Watts is able to craft a solid, imperfect conclusion to this Spider-Man arc which nails the character of Peter Parker and the acrobatic action he brings to the table, but also gets bogged down at times by some odd character choices and pacing issues. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock and are one of the three people who haven’t made it out to see Avengers: Endgame, a warning: spoilers lie ahead.

Peter Parker has been having a rough go of it lately. After being dusted and effectively wiped from existence in Avengers: Infinity War and revived five years later, the youngster is having a tough time readjusting to life post “Blip” – the name given to Thanos’ snap. A relaxing summer European vacation with his classmates is the perfect opportunity to hang up the spider-suit for a while and spend some quality time with his crush MJ (Zendaya). Peter, and the world at large, is struggling with the recent death of Iron Man and the fracturing of the Avengers as a result. A great amount of pressure has been placed on Spider-Man as Iron Man’s replacement, a problem which is only exacerbated when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) highjacks Peter’s school trip in order to help Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), also known as Mysterio, defeat a new world-ending threat – Elementals: physical embodiments of earth, wind, fire and water who destroy everything in their path. Peter soon finds his priorities divided between living a normal life with his friends and getting the girl and rising to the challenge to help Fury and Beck, taking Tony Stark’s place in the process. After the earth-shattering events of Endgame, the story here feels comparatively smaller, a more intimate film that is less about world-ending catastrophes than it is about exploring the psyche of Peter. It takes a little time to get used to the smaller stakes here but, much like last year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, it is refreshing antidote to Endgame and a nice way to close out phase three of the MCU.

The strongest aspect of Far From Home is how it handles Peter’s personal struggles following the death of Iron Man. Not only has he lost a true friend and mentor, but he’s also lost his way in terms of being a superhero, opting to step away from the limelight and just be a kid for a change. The film really zeroes in on the responsibility placed on Peter and how he handles it; he is presented with challenge after challenge – making some missteps along the way – on his way to deciding where his future lies. Some of these missteps, which I won’t get into to avoid spoilers, are handled better than others, with a few moments leaving audiences scratching their heads as to why on earth Peter made that specific choice. Sure, you could chalk it up to him being a teenager, but doing so robs Spider-Man of the intelligence that is inherent to the character. With Iron Man’s death Peter is subconsciously searching for another mentor to put his trust in and to guide him with his choices. Enter Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, who Peter develops a bond with as they fight the Elementals together. Holland and Gyllenhaal have great chemistry together, clearly influenced by their real life friendship, and watching the characters develop their bond is one of the highlights of the film. Gyllenhall plays the role of Quentin Beck with a confidence and bravado that attracts Peter, qualities that make him a surrogate in Peter’s eyes for the late Tony Stark. It’s an interesting plot thread to pull on; watching Peter doubt himself and desperately search for guidance when Tony believed he was the one to carry the torch going forward.

In addition to exploring Peter’s internal mental struggles, the film also mixes in a healthy dose of romance with the burgeoning relationship between Parker and MJ. It’s a fun plotline which helps to emphasise the kind of normal life that Peter longs for, a life that is constantly hindered and kept out of his grasp by his responsibilities as Spider-Man. MJ is given a much more fleshed out role this time around and Zendaya revels in playing the odd, socially awkward teenager. The random truth bombs and scathing retorts she fires off are always hilarious and she is by far the best of the younger cast in the film outside of Holland, who also dials up the social awkwardness in his exchanges with MJ. It’s almost too hard to not turn away and cringe at some of the dialogue and it really works to make the characters feel like kids finding their way to expressing their feelings for one another. This rom-com storyline adds a fresh layer to the average Spider-Man adventure, with past films often playing the romance much more seriously, highlighting the depressing aspects of Peter pining for MJ’s affections. Far From Home is first and foremost fun, and it goes a long way in investing you in the characters and their predicaments.

When Homecoming was first released people were excited for the first time to actually explore Peter Parker’s adventures in high school. The Maguire and Garfield Spider-Man films were also set in high-school but they never really took advantage of the setting or the simple but engaging premise of balancing school and hero fighting. (Add to that the fact that both Maguire and Garfield both looked like they hadn’t stepped foot in a school in twenty years). Homecoming was the first Spider-Man film to really live in that school environment and as such, brought a host of other teenagers in to occupy Peter’s world, including best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), bully Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori), and classmate Betty Brant (Anjourie Rice). They all worked wonderfully in Homecoming where the stakes were comparably lower and at a more “friendly neighbourhood” level, but in Far From Home these characters become too much at times. They’re all played wonderfully and it’s understandable wanting to bring them back after how well they were received before but it almost always slows the pace of the film when we cut away from Peter’s adventures to check in with them. The film works best focusing on Peter and if these characters are taking away from his screentime and distract from the main plot then it might be time to jettison a few. That being said, I could watch an entire film of Martin Starr’s character Mr. Harrington struggle through literally every situation he is put in, with a can-do attitude and no luck in life whatsoever, he is hilarious and steals almost every scene he is in.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a film which, like Peter Parker, has an enormous responsibility on its shoulders as the first MCU film to follow Avengers: Endgame. It largely lives up to the task, providing a fun, engaging Spider-Man story that explores one of the character’s oldest struggles: deciding whether to live a normal life or make the sacrifices necessary to be Spider-Man. While there are some pacing issues and questionable character decisions, it never detracts from your investment in the key characters, anchored by an always stellar performance from Tom Holland. Between this, the recent PS4 game and last year’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse we really are living in the golden age for the web-slinger. Here’s hoping we stay on the upswing for a little while longer.

Spider-Man: Far From Home stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Marisa Tomei, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori & Jake Gyllenhaal – in cinemas now.

Tags Jacob Batalon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jon Watts, Marisa Tomei, Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson, Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Tom Holland, Zendaya