The Bodyguard review by Bobby Blakey
Sammo Hung is one of the most iconic martial arts actors, directors, and stunt coordinators working today. His early work alongside Jackie Chan and Yuan Biao is amazing and he constantly seems to push the envelope to be even better all the time. Now he is stepping in front and behind the camera once again for his latest The Bodyguard also starring Andy Lau and Eddie Peng, but does it offer up all that fans have come to love from this martial arts genius or will it be a fight that he just can’t finish?
The Bodyguard follows a retired Special Agent Ding who makes a home in a quiet village on the Russia / China border. He befriends a young girl whose father, in debt with the mob, disappears leaving her in Ding’s care. Now he must recall his superior strategic and tactical skills to save both their lives. Going into this film you any fan of Hung will already have preconceived hopes of what they will get and thankfully for the most part it delivers. The story is simple enough, but offers up just enough complexity to keep it interesting. This is the type of story that has been done hundreds of times in various forms, but with Hung in the lead it just seems to makes it something special. He has that everyman look and mentality, but the martial arts and action abilities that rivals any star out there making him all the more relatable. While he has always been great at comedy, he is just as good with the drama and here gets to pack it on thick.
Obviously anyone going into this film they are looking for his signature action and while it doesn’t live up to some of the past awesomeness, it does deliver. There are some great fights here made all the better with Hung throwing a barrage of kicks and punches like only he can. There were some of the fights that just felt flat, but that could be more of a case of just expecting so much the film that there was just no way to live up to it. Hardcore martial arts fans will no doubt have a great time with the film and surely be entertained.
We just don’t get enough Sammo Hung these days and getting the chance to see him in action as well as directing is a pure treat and makes the whole film worth it. In addition to the film this release also includes a trailer and making of featurette that takes you behind the action.
Be there to see him unleash his fury when The Bodyguard hits Blu-ray and DVD on September 6th from Well Go USA.