THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD Trailer

The trailer for The Hitman’s Bodyguard wastes no time setting up how ridiculous it is. A voice-over from Ryan Reynolds spells out the premise off the top: an experienced hitman is assigned an elite bodyguard, because that’s not overkill. And if you didn’t get that it’s knowingly silly, the hard cut to Samuel L. Jackson laughing and the subsequent tongue-in-cheek use of the theme song from The Bodyguard makes it overwhelmingly apparent.

Yeah, The Hitman’s Bodyguard looks to be a big old action-comedy, and the roots are all there for this thing to work. As the main duo, Reynolds and Jackson should have no problem blending the violence and humor their roles require. They’re old pros at this stuff, and the trailer makes it look like their chemistry is riotous. Their banter will be just as important to this film as, say, the connection between Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard, so while the references are very funny, highlighting their pairing is also apt.

That’s a good sign the filmmakers know what kind of unabashedly silly stuff this film can get away with, and there’s nothing wrong with wallowing in cheese for entertainment. Big explosions and big laughs are fun, and that’s something director Patrick Hughes knows well. He last helmed The Expendables 3 and handled its unapologetic style well, satisfying fans who wanted their action huge and their references dated. If he brings the same kind of audience awareness to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, all the people chuckling at this trailer should be happy with the end result.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is directed by Patrick Hughes and stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek. It will be released in the U.S. and the U.K. on August 18th, 2017. For international release dates, click here.

Does The Hitman’s Bodyguard look fun to you? Let us know in the comments!