Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

My Bodyguard Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 25, 2016

A staple of teen entertainment, the Bully Situation is often deployed to explore the high school experience, tapping into a universal understanding of hallway pressure and humiliation. It’s a difficult subject matter to watch, often fueling tales of underdog triumph, with some pictures, like 1984’s “The Karate Kid,” using cartoon extremes wonderfully to achieve a precise pitch of audience sympathy. 1980’s “My Bodyguard” is far from the best Bully Situation movie, but it does retain a degree of verisimilitude when it comes to the anxiety of classmate punishment and helpless, getting viewers riled up with scenes of abuse and torment. Director Tony Bill has a natural way with his young cast, and this is definitely a feature that means well, taking sensitive relationships seriously. However, “My Bodyguard” has issues with pacing and a screwy way with the cyclical nature of violence, presenting a confused conclusion that doesn’t even begin to solve all the trouble that precedes it.

After the sudden death of his mother, teenager Clifford Peache (Chris Makepeace) is left on his own, having troubling holding the attention of his overworked father (Martin Mull), who manages a ritzy hotel in Chicago, which also acts as the boy’s home. Entering a new school, Clifford finds himself in over his head when he refuses to kowtow to bully Moody (Matt Dillon) and his gang of ruffians, triggering their ire when he refuses to pay a “protection” fee, which would leave him without lunch money. Subjected to locker and lunch room embarrassments and threats, Clifford doesn’t know where to turn, finding adults failing to understand the severity of the situation, while his classmates are too frightened to stand up to Moody. Finding inspiration in stories about hulking school outcast Linderman (Adam Baldwin), Clifford offers the quiet boy cash in exchange for bodyguard services. Accepting the deal, Linderman quickly puts Moody in his place, while experiencing a developing friendship with his employer, helping to clear away some of the darkness that’s defined his life.

To help accentuate the divide between Clifford and his school enemies, the screenplay by Alan Ormsby (who also wrote 1982’s “Cat People” remake) gifts the teenager a life of privilege, living in a broken family with money, spending time with his Gramma (Ruth Gordon) while enjoying the five-star hotel life. He’s smart and sharp, generating immediate irritation with Moody, who doesn’t have patience for those challenging his rule. The set-up is basic, watching Clifford make all the wrong moves with Moody, including classroom backtalk and defiance, refusing to pay the bully a daily fee that would stop the harassment, while rejecting more physical acts of domination, including the forced ingestion of toilet water in a dingy school bathroom. Moody is a colossal creep, coasting on arrogance and reputation, keeping order with his enforcers. However, unlike Clifford, little is known about Moody besides pronounced ‘tude, with the character a one-dimensional challenger to the new kid’s sophomore year inside a strange, urban school.

Bill (who would go on to direct the 1993 charmer, “Untamed Heart”) makes an attempt to keep the characters and their situation naturally antagonistic, making life unbearable for Clifford, who doesn’t receive much help from adults, forced to seek out Linderman for help. A large young man who keeps to himself, Linderman provides salvation for Clifford, but it’s only temporary and occurs early in the movie, watching Moody and his gang come up against the bodyguard’s size. It’s a bold scene of bully rejection, and it plays out far too early in the feature, climaxing the tale at the midway point. There’s obviously more ground to cover than simple comeuppance, but the Linderman’s first encounter with Moody feels like a finale, with Bill throwing off the picture’s pace long before it ends.

Linderman is a haunted character, dealing with the loss of his younger sibling due to an unlocked gun in the home. The screenplay is sensitive to the bodyguard’s troubles, avoiding stoic formula to explore a deeper side of behavior that helps him to bond with a persistent Clifford, who develops a friendship with his protector, finding the teens collaborating on the repair of a motorcycle in need of a special cylinder. The second half of “My Bodyguard” spotlights Linderman’s pain and secretive past, warming up to Clifford’s positive attention, which also includes dinner and a palm reading with Gramma, who temporarily drops her kooky senior act to connect with a damaged soul in need of human contact. The friendship between Linderman and Clifford doesn’t command screentime, only really coming into view late in the picture, but tender moments add gentleness to “My Bodyguard,” while Linderman’s dramatic arc carries more weight than teen cinema typically allows.

My Bodyguard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation does showcase a slightly older master, but age doesn't destroy the viewing experience. An especially grainy movie, filmic qualities are preserved, while detail is compelling, locating the nuances of facial reactions and the general textures of the high school classrooms and hallway decorations. Cinematographic softness is surveyed, but clarity is generally acceptable. Colors retain their periodic strength, with the autumnal palette registering as intended, favoring greenery and bolder costuming. Delineation is comfortable. Source finds pockets of speckling, but no overt damage is detected.

My Bodyguard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix runs into periodic trouble with slight sync issues, though this seems to appear only in the opening reel. Dialogue exchanges aren't crisply defined, but they pass, communicating emotional speeds and group interactions. Scoring isn't precise but instrumentation survives, along with moods. Atmospherics are thick, but classroom bustle is easy to follow, along with urban activity.

My Bodyguard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Tony Bill and film programmer Jim Healy.

• Five T.V. Spots (2:39, SD) are offered.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:19, HD) is included.

My Bodyguard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"My Bodyguard" is skilled at manipulation, depicting Moody as a miniature monster, and one who goes off to hire his own bulky dude, an adult, to act as his protector, adding tension once the bully returns fire. There are plenty of participatory moments to enjoy, but it's disappointing to watch the production show no real interest in handling Clifford's with care. The ending basically endorses a "violence solves everything" message that doesn't make sense, indulging wish-fulfillment while the rest of the movie strives to remain authentic to Clifford's plight. It's a cop-out conclusion, and not even a satisfying one, playing out like a sitcom, never addressing the bleak future sure to follow the characters for the rest of high school. Ideas on escalation are intentionally avoided, muting the emotional power "My Bodyguard" periodically finds.