Film Preview: The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017)

Page Revisions:

(April 16, 2017) Original
(May 14, 2017) New Trailer (#2)
(June 4, 2017) New Trailers (#3-#4) / New Posters (#2-#4)
(August 13, 2017) New Posters (#5-#9)

Release Date:

August 18, 2017

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The world’s top bodyguard gets a new client, a hit man who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.”

Poster Rating: B- / C+ / C+ (2) / D / C / C / C- / D

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) The attempt to conjure images of the Whitney Houston film Bodyguard add to the depth of the humor involved. It does appear to be PhotoShopped, but that’s immaterial.

(#2) This isn’t a particularly new design style, nor is it that enticing, but the colors are unusual, which may draw a passer-by’s attention, but it’s otherwise unimpressive. (#3-#4) These character posters borrow the style and images used in the first, but doesn’t do anything more interesting with them.

(#5) A dull waste of design elements, bold, but dull colors make for an unimpressive time. (#6) A simple, efficient design that isn’t particularly exciting. (#7) Similar to the previous design, with a bullseye element added, which doesn’t improve anything. (#8) Similar to the prior two designs, but consistently duller. (#9) Not far removed from design #5, with a few more design elements added to the yellow strip, but nothing life-altering.

Trailer Rating: B / B- / C+ / C-

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Review: (#1) This Red Band trailer has a lot of cursing in it, but there’s no better way to watch a film starring Samuel L. Jackson riffing on his own typecast personality. Ryan Reynolds isn’t a slouch either.

(#2) The Whitney Houston motif is wearing thin, but what’s most frustrating is how few new bits are in the trailer and how much it feels like this second attempt wasn’t at all necessary.

(#3) It’s amazing how quickly a film can feel overwrought and excessive. This film has gotten that way quickly. The first trailers are intense and exciting with plenty of interesting humor. This second trailer is either not as funny as the first or the fun of it has been drained out by repeated viewing of similar images and situations.

(#4) And what’s worse that a trailer that feels like a retread, it’s a Red Band trailer that feels like a retread of the retread, with a couple of extra curse words to make it feel edgier without being.