In all its irresistible absurdity, this colossal 90s studio movie and global smash – like Titanic, mocked by the critics and loved by the public – is revived for its 30th anniversary. Directed by Mick Jackson, written by Lawrence Kasdan and shot by Andrew Dunn, The Bodyguard does sag a bit here and there, and Kevin Costner’s relationship with the “cocky black chauffeur” character jars.
But there’s no doubting the powerhouse punch of Whitney Houston’s showcase musical numbers, especially her passionate, declamatory cover version of I Will Always Love You, an originally a brisker and yet more downbeat country track written by Dolly Parton. Here, it’s radically reimagined – Houston and Costner even have a scene where they dance in a bar to the original version, and she comments on what a downer it is. And, of course, there is that outrageous big finish at the Academy Awards, where Houston, playing an Oscar nominee, is in danger of being assassinated right then and there in front of the tuxedoed crowd, and only her gallant bodyguard-lover can save her.
