2 Guns
3/4
Starring: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Edward James Olmos, Paula Patton, James Marsden, Robert John Burke, Bill Paxton, Fred Ward
Rated R for Violence Throughout, Language and Brief Nudity
"2 Guns" is preposterous. In fact, it's so absurd that it attains a new level of affection in me long after the movie is over. This is a movie where you see, pretty boy James Marsden as a gun toting villain and a five way shootout. And both occur during a stampede of bulls on their way to the rodeo. Sold!
Bobby (Washington) and Stig (Wahlberg) are two con men who are making a deal with a drug kingpin named Papi (Olmos). When he screws them, they vow to steal his money from a bank. It's around $3 million (which for a kingpin, seems more like pocket change and that he would more likely get pissed about being disrespected than being out $3 million, but whatever). Surprisingly, when they open the lockboxes in the bank, the realize that there's a hell of a lot more cash than they realize. There's more than $43 million there. But there's something that the two of them don't know about each other: Bobby is DEA and Stig works for the Navy. And everyone wants the money.
The acting is effective. Mark Wahlberg plays a motormouth moron (or someone who seems to be dumb). Denzel Washington is surprisingly good. After a career playing intense characters ("Training Day," "The Hurricane," "Glory," the list goes on). Edward James Olmos is a long way from "Battlestar Gallactica." James Marsden appears sans flowing hair and shoots people (he's still cute though). Paula Patton is sexy and has a scene with Denzel without clothing (although sadly this isn't as sexy as you'd think). Robert John Burke plays someone who isn't slimy for once. And Bill Paxton chews the scenery for a few scenes.
The problem with the movie is that it takes the first half to set up, and because the plot twists while introducing the characters, it get pretty confusing. From scene to scene though, it's entirely watchable. But once things get rolling (when Washington and Wahlberg play the most inventive game of bumper cars since "The Peacemaker"), the plot clears up and things really take off (note: the twists in the plot do not stop after this point).
Baltasar Kormakur directed this film (he directed last year's "Contraband," also starring Wahlberg, and it was a remake of a movie he starred in). It has a solid second half, but scripting problems hamper it. The film could have used another rewrite. I was reminded of Christopher McQuarrie's (who wrote "The Usual Suspects") directorial debut. It has the same setting and the same super-twisty feel. Looking back, it feels as if I was jerked around a lot, but it's fun while it's unspooling.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Edward James Olmos, Paula Patton, James Marsden, Robert John Burke, Bill Paxton, Fred Ward
Rated R for Violence Throughout, Language and Brief Nudity
"2 Guns" is preposterous. In fact, it's so absurd that it attains a new level of affection in me long after the movie is over. This is a movie where you see, pretty boy James Marsden as a gun toting villain and a five way shootout. And both occur during a stampede of bulls on their way to the rodeo. Sold!
Bobby (Washington) and Stig (Wahlberg) are two con men who are making a deal with a drug kingpin named Papi (Olmos). When he screws them, they vow to steal his money from a bank. It's around $3 million (which for a kingpin, seems more like pocket change and that he would more likely get pissed about being disrespected than being out $3 million, but whatever). Surprisingly, when they open the lockboxes in the bank, the realize that there's a hell of a lot more cash than they realize. There's more than $43 million there. But there's something that the two of them don't know about each other: Bobby is DEA and Stig works for the Navy. And everyone wants the money.
The acting is effective. Mark Wahlberg plays a motormouth moron (or someone who seems to be dumb). Denzel Washington is surprisingly good. After a career playing intense characters ("Training Day," "The Hurricane," "Glory," the list goes on). Edward James Olmos is a long way from "Battlestar Gallactica." James Marsden appears sans flowing hair and shoots people (he's still cute though). Paula Patton is sexy and has a scene with Denzel without clothing (although sadly this isn't as sexy as you'd think). Robert John Burke plays someone who isn't slimy for once. And Bill Paxton chews the scenery for a few scenes.
The problem with the movie is that it takes the first half to set up, and because the plot twists while introducing the characters, it get pretty confusing. From scene to scene though, it's entirely watchable. But once things get rolling (when Washington and Wahlberg play the most inventive game of bumper cars since "The Peacemaker"), the plot clears up and things really take off (note: the twists in the plot do not stop after this point).
Baltasar Kormakur directed this film (he directed last year's "Contraband," also starring Wahlberg, and it was a remake of a movie he starred in). It has a solid second half, but scripting problems hamper it. The film could have used another rewrite. I was reminded of Christopher McQuarrie's (who wrote "The Usual Suspects") directorial debut. It has the same setting and the same super-twisty feel. Looking back, it feels as if I was jerked around a lot, but it's fun while it's unspooling.
Comments
Post a Comment