Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is the follow-up to the 2017 film The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) was once a AAA-rated bodyguard and a seemingly-perfect executive protection agent, until hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) killed one of his most important clients, causing him to lose his license and AAA rating. In the first film, Bryce was forced to put differences aside and protect Darius so that he could testify at the International Criminal Court. In the process, Bryce took a bullet for his nemesis, but that isn’t going to make a difference with the Bodyguarding Committee when he meets with the tribunal to try to convince them to reinstate his license/rating, because they don’t really approve of or reward the protection of sociopaths. Bryce sees a therapist to deal with the stress of this situation, who suggests that he take a sabbatical from bodyguarding and guns and go on vacation. Bryce follows the advice, but it isn’t long before his peaceful search for inner happiness is interrupted by Darius’ wife, con-woman Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek), who whisks him away to help rescue her husband from the Mafia. If Bryce thought Darius was bad, Sonia is even crazier than her husband! Even though Bryce has sworn off guns and bodyguarding, he now finds himself mixed up in a wild new mission with a pair of insane lovebirds.

Meanwhile, reluctant Interpol agent Bobby O’Neill (Frank Grillo) is tired of Europe and annoyed with his new Scottish translater/partner Ailso (Alice McMillan). He is eager to be transferred back to Boston, but must first prove to his boss, Superintendent Crowley (Catherine Goodall), that his methods of using criminal informants works. The only problem is that the Kindcaids just eliminated his man on the inside for the case to take down Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Papdopolous (Antonio Banderas), who is plotting some sort of major cyber attack. So O’Neill captures the Kincaids and Bryce and forces them to go undercover working for him. But when you team up a con-woman, a hitman and an unlicensed bodyguard, what could possibly go wrong?! Sonia is eager to start a family and sees this mission as the chance to have the honeymoon she and Darius never got to take, while Bryce is stuck tagging along as their uncomfortable third wheel. And since he has sworn off guns and bodyguarding, Bryce alerts the Kindcaids that he won’t be protecting them if they get into trouble. However, stopping Papdopolous’ plans may be easier said than done as he has hired his own professional hitman, Zento (Kristofer Kamiyasu), and three-time Triple-A Bodyguard of the Year winner—and Bryce’s idol—Magnusson (Tom Hopper).

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a hilarious action-comedy that’s just as fun and action-packed as its predecessor. Sonia Kincaid is a fun, sexy, foul-mouthed addition to the dynamic, turning the dysfunctional duo of Bryce and Darius into a bickering family of three. Sonia has one thing on her mind—starting a family with Darius, and that begins with their make-shift honeymoon. However, she is suspicious that Darius is hiding something from her—the real reason he disappeared on their wedding night, and is determined to find out the truth. Meanwhile, Bryce just wants to begin his normal, peaceful life, with no more bodyguarding or violence. However, even after trading in his guns for pepper spray, he still finds himself in one dangerous situation after the next. And while the Kinkaids may mean well, he seems to take the brunt of every bad thing that happens to them. Salma Hayek is a wonderful addition to the main cast. While she had a few scenes in the first film, she really gets to shine and show off her comedic chops in this sequel. She is hilarious and the dynamic between her and both Reynolds and Jackson is amazing. Reynolds and Jackson were great in the first film and bring more of the same here. Reynolds does his usual sarcastic and witty banter, while playing the clueless, downtrodden victim. And Jackson gets to explore more of the romantic dynamic between Darius and Sonia this time around. The cast is rounded out by some hilarious side characters, including Frank Grillo as the disgruntled Interpol agent who doesn’t bother to learn his partner’s name and just refers to her using famous Scottish film character names, Richard E. Grant as an eccentric past client of Bryce’s, and Antonio Banderas as the over-the-top moustache-twirling bad guy. Plus some fun appearances by Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman.

While the film gets a bit insane, ridiculous and over-the-top at times, it’s so much fun to watch. I had just seen F9 the week before initially seeing this, so the bar for what could be considered ludicrous had been set pretty high! In addition to the quick, witty dialogue, there is lots of great physical humor this time around, usually at Bryce’s expense. The film also has some fun twists and turns, though a couple of them are advertised a bit too much ahead of time that the viewer will likely see them coming.

Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent. The picture is clean and pristine, showcasing the film’s beautiful locales, and showing a lot of detail in textures and faces. The Atmos soundtrack provides clear dialogue throughout and makes the action come to life in your living room. From bullets flying in all directions to helicopters overhead, the track provides a nice immersive experience. The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed in a standard HD keepcase with a glossy slipcover and includes a slip with redemption instructions for a digital copy of the film. While it is not Movies Anywhere compatible, it does provide a selection of redemption options, including Apple TV where it gives a 4K digital copy. The release also contains over 30 minutes of bonus material, including several behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew and a gag reel. The same supplements can be found on the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital (though the latter may vary by retailer).

What’s Included:

Film: (1:39:36)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 8/17/2022):

• Digital copy redeemable via Apple TV, Vudu Fandango, or Google Play (not Movies Anywhere compatible). iTunes redeem will give 4K, but we did not test the other two options.

Extras:

• Ryan, Sam, Salma: One F’d Up Family (9:09)
  The cast and director talk about getting the gang back together, what it was like working with each other, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Patrick Hughes (“Bouncer”), and stars Samuel L. Jackson (“Darius Kincaid”), Ryan Reynolds (“Michael Bryce”) & Salma Hayek (“Sonia Kincaid”).
• Gone Soft: The New Michael Bryce (7:22)
  Star Ryan Reynolds and director Patrick Hughes discuss exploring what happened to Michael Bryce after the events of the first film, finding creative ways to have him fight without using guns, the family theme of the sequel, and more. Stars Morgan Freeman (“Senior”) & Frank Grillo (“Bobby O’Neill”) also talk about working with Ryan Reynolds. Includes behind-the-scenes footage.
• Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: #stuntlife (7:47)
  The cast and crew discuss some of the sequel’s big stunt scenes. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, previs footage, and interviews with stunt coordinator Adam Horton, director Patrick Hughes, stunt supervisor Greg Powell, and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Salma Hayek, Ryan Reynolds & Antonio Banderas (“Aristotle Papdopolous”).
  
• On the Set of Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (4:02)
  Production designer Russell De Rozario gives viewers a tour of some of the sets. Also includes clips and behind-the-scenes footage of how these sets were used in the film.
• Gag Reel (4:40)
  Fun collection of alternate takes and outtakes with Ryan Reynolds and Salma Hayek.
  
• Theatrical Trailers (4:41)
  Two Red Band trailers play back-to-back.

Final Thoughts:

While Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard recreates the same fun action-comedy tone of the first film, it doesn’t feel like just a re-hash of The Hitman’s Bodyguard. It is a hilarious, action-packed ride featuring a stellar cast that will have you laughing from start to finish. The dynamic between Ryan Reynold, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek is comedy gold—I would love to see a third installment of this franchise! Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release features excellent picture and sound, and contains over 30 minutes of entertaining bonus material. This is an easy recommendation, especially for fans of the original film.