Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Blu Ray Review (Lionsgate)

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (aKa The Hitman’s Bodyguard 2) is a 2021 action comedy film directed by Patrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Expendables 3, and Red Hill). It was written by Phillip Murphy (The Last Drop) and Brandon Murphy (Snow Valley). It was produced by Boaz Davidson (Delta Force 3, Bridge of Dragons, Replicant, Rambo franchise, Till Death, Leatherface, Day of the Dead: Bloodline, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Expendables franchise, Fallen franchise, The Mechanic 1/2, Ninja 1/2, and Conan the Barbarian) and Avi Lerner (Rambo franchise, The Expendables franchise, The Protege, Hellboy, Hunter Killer, Fallen franchise, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Amityville: The Awakening, Drive Angry, American Ninja franchise, Howling IV, and Hard Cash). It’s a direct sequel to 2017’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard. The budget was $70 million and it grossed $70.3 million worldwide at the box office.

Michael Bryce (played by: Ryan Reynolds from Deadpool 1/2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Nines, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Green Lantern,  X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Smokin’ Aces) prepares to retire from being a bodyguard and tries to clear his mind on vacation until Sonia Kincaid (played by: Salma Hayek from Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, 54, Everly, and The Hitman’s Bodyguard) tracks him down. She asks for his services and she’s not willing to take no for an answer. She needs his help in recovering her hitman husband Darius (played by: Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Spiral, Shaft, Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Unbreakable/Glass, and The Hateful Eight) after mobsters kidnap him. Vladislav Dukhovic (played by: Gary Oldman from Leon: The Professional, True Romance, The Dark Knight trilogy, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, State of Grace, and Dracula) remains a thorn in their side.

After completing the mission, they are caught by Interpol agent Bobby O’Neill (played by: Frank Grillo from The Purge franchise, Jiu Jitsu, Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: Civil War), who needs their help in locating a terrorist mastermind named Aristotle Papadopoulos (played by: Antonio Banderas from The Expendables 3, Machete Kills, Shrek franchise, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico). They get help from his bodyguard stepfather, Bryce Senior (played by: Morgan Freeman from Se7en, The Dark Knight trilogy, Unforgiven, The Shawshank Redemption, and Driving Miss Daisy) but the trio is captured by Aristotle’s henchmen. He has a history with Sonia. Bryce and Darius are forced together once again to fix their problems. Can they get along long enough to handle their task? or Will they kill each other before it’s done????

The Hitman’s Bodyguard was a blast so I couldn’t wait for this sequel when it was announced. All of the main cast from the original return here. It has a nice balance of dark humor and action just like the other one. The screenplay really caters to all the leads and it’s the perfect material for them to flex their acting skills on. The chemistry between Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek were great like before. They haven’t missed a beat since the last one and their collaboration feels natural. Ryan Reynolds is always at his best when it comes to this type of feature. He can pull off the comedic timing without much effort and be a bad ass with ease. Samuel L. Jackson is one of those performers that elevates every project that he works on and this one is no different. He is hilarious as the hitman with so many issues. Salma Hayek still looks amazing and she’s one of the best when it comes to cinematic eye candy. She isn’t afraid to get thrown in the mix when it comes to the chaos here. The supporting cast is top notch in Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard which includes Gary Oldman, Frank Grillo, Antonio Banderas, and Morgan Freeman. This one doesn’t shy away from the violence at all, I love that this franchise is always Rated R and not watered down like so many other action flicks these days. It has some solid twists that keep you on your toes in this. It did okay at the box office so I am not sure if they are going to do another in the future for a possible trilogy. It’s not better than the first one but it delivers everything that you would expect from a follow up. I was happy with this very fun and entertaining sequel, RECOMMENDED!!!!

Let’s discuss the high definition presentation and special features from Lionsgate! It has an (2.38:1) transfer that looks fantastic on blu ray so I can only image what the 4K release looks like. It has a few different audio options that includes English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, and French: Dolby Digital 5.1 on the disc. It has English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. “Ryan, Sam, Salma: One F’d Up Family” is a little over 9 minutes. “Gone Soft: The New Michael Bryce” is a little over 7 minutes. “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: #stuntlife” is almost 8 minutes. “On the Set of Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” is a little over 4 minutes. It has interviews with director Patrick Hughes, Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo, and various members of the production. It has all kinds of behind the scenes footage. They chat about coming back to do a sequel. They talk about their chemistry. They all praise each other’s work here. It goes over the story and concept for this follow up. They bring up how much Bryce has changed since the first one and his relationship with his father here. It gives you an inside look into some of the big action scenes and stunts for this production. It has an almost 5 minute “Gag Reel”. You can tell they are having fun with this one. Lots of hilarious moments here. It has red band “Trailers” for both films. It comes with a slipcover, a digital code, and a DVD copy of the release. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!