The Hitman’s Bodyguard

THE GIST: Michael Bryce is charged with safely delivering a notorious assassin from his jail cell to the International Criminal Court so he can testify against a despot charged with ordering atrocities. The two know one another because the hitman had tried repeatedly to kill Michael in the past, so it's no smooth sailing, especially with the strongman's thugs on their tail.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action comedy with a decently written script whose real strength lies squarely in the casting of two actors who are both very good at comedy: Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson.

Salma Hayek is not on screen a lot, but when she is she nails it, which is probably why they gave her top billing in the upcoming sequel.

Gary Oldman as the villain is alternately viciously scary and a bit boring. It's almost like he lost interest at some point during filming and started phoning it in. Still, it's Oldman, so he's still effective.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommended for a fun night of relentless action peppered with comedy throughout. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Grade: 7.5