A huge hit featuring one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, 1992's THE BODYGUARD hasn't exactly stood the test of time.
Kevin Costner is pretty flat and one-note as former secret service agent Frank Farmer, now relegated to protecting celebrities after he was out of work the day that Reagan was shot.
His newest client is cliche big-star, big attitude singer Rachel Marron, played by Whitney Houston in her big screen debut.
Houston isn't a great actress but anytime she holds the microphone and sings, the movie is excellent.
Too bad there aren't more singing parts.....
Ralph Waite (The Waltons) is solid as Costner's dad and Bill Cobbs (The Color of Money) is terrific as Rachel's right hand man that hires Farmer, but the rest of the roles are very cliche and over-the-top.
You'll see the bad guy coming a mile away.
It's kind of shocking how weak the screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Body Heat, Silverado) until you realize he wrote it many years before it was filmed, before he found success (and honed his craft). It was written in the early 70's for Diana Ross and Steve McQueen and then sat on the shelf until 1992.
Any movie that has unfunny hack Robert Wuhl (Batman) hosting the Oscars falls very flat in the believability category for me.
"I Will Always Love You" is undeniably a great pop tune and you won't be getting it out of your head any time soon after watching the film.
Unfortunately, the rest of the movie will stick with you too. THE BODYGUARD gets a C.
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