The Hitman's Bodyguard

Learn English through hilarious, high-octane action scenes.

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) - A Perfectly Laid Plan

Michael Bryce is a meticulous, elite protection agent who has been hired to guard Darius Kincaid, a notorious and incredibly reckless hitman who needs to testify at an international court. Bryce prides himself on carefully planning every single detail of their travel courses. However, while pinned down under heavy gunfire, Bryce discovers a massive flaw in their operational security—Kincaid has been carrying a live, trackable cell phone the entire time.

Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds): A high-strung, professional bodyguard who obsesses over meticulous planning, tactical calculations, and 21st-century security measures.

Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson): A relaxed, highly capable hitman who relies purely on instinct rather than planning, entirely oblivious to how modern technology can track him.

Bryce [00:00:02]: When you mess with that perfectly laid plan, things go...

Kincaid: Look out! I got you! I got this.

Bryce [00:00:11]: There's more than one! Draw their fire so I can take a look.

Kincaid [00:00:25]: Okay, three shooters in a row, all lit up! What do you want to do? Come down here and kill us?

Bryce [00:00:35]: So here's the plan. You take 11 o'clock out, this one. As you get the 12 first, okay? On three. Ready? One... I said on three!

Kincaid [00:01:13]: So much for your intricately calculated travel plans. That's why I was trying to buy some time on your ass. See, I'm safer on my own. There's no way they could have known where we were.

Bryce [00:01:23]: Oh, they did. And now I know why.

Kincaid: Is this yours?

Bryce [00:01:28]: This is your cell phone! Might have taken that off some dead guy. You know they can track a cell phone? That's why I use a ghost chip in mine so they can't track the phone. That's how they know where we were! Here I am, I'm plotting courses all over the country and you're carrying a location beacon in your pocket!

Bryce [00:01:52]: You don't even understand how 21st-century technology works. I mean, how have you stayed alive this long?

Kincaid [00:01:58]: Well, all you guys are wasting your time with your planning, and aiming, and deducing. I just do my thing, and my thing has always been better than your fucking thing!

Listen to the scene and fill in the missing words correctly.

Leonard: We’re watching football. There’s no flu, you know. What is this “sack” statistic they put up there? All I know about Saks is my mother there.

Sheldon: “Sacks.” It’s football for when a quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

Leonard: Huh.

Sheldon: The line of scrimmage is the imaginary line separating the offense from the defense.

Penny: Oh, Sheldon knows football apparently. I mean, Quidditch sure, but football? Sheldon, how do you this stuff?

Sheldon: I grew up in Texas. Football is in Texas. Pro football, college football, high school football, Pee-Wee football.

Intricately: In a very detailed and complicated manner.

Deducing: Arriving at a fact or a conclusion by reasoning; drawing a logical inference.

Beacon: A light or other visible/electronic signal that acts as a guide or alerts others to a specific location.

Meticulous: Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

Useful Phrases

Perfectly laid plan : A deeply thought-out strategy where every single detail has been anticipated to ensure success.
Example : We had a perfectly laid plan for the product launch, but an unexpected server crash delayed everything.

Draw their fire : To intentionally attract the attention and attacks of enemies/opponents so that someone else can move safely or assess a situation.
Example : The marketing team put out a controversial teaser to draw the critics' fire away from the main product release.

So much for [something] : An expression used to indicate that a plan, expectation, or concept has completely failed or is no longer useful.
Example : It just started pouring rain outside. So much for our weekend picnic plans.

What tracking device was Darius Kincaid carrying in his pocket without understanding how it works?

What does Darius Kincaid claim other professional agents waste too much time doing?

Bryce relies heavily on 21st-century technology and meticulous planning, while Kincaid relies entirely on raw instinct. Which approach do you think is safer in an unpredicted emergency?
How does Kincaid's relaxed manner during a deadly shootout contrast with Bryce's intense stress level? How does this change the scene's comedic dynamic?
What are some modern-day scenarios where a "perfectly laid plan" can be entirely ruined by a single simple device like a mobile phone?

hitman's bodyguard