Movie Review: 2 Guns

Not that good. Not that bad. It ain't art; it's craftsmanship. You won't walk away disappointed, but you won't be raving either. Like a hot roast beef sandwich, you'll be full. You'll be satiated. However you will know you didn't eat a superb cut of roast beef au jus with a side of creamy mashed potatoes lightly seasoned with butter and garlic. And considering a number of fare whose names bless the marquee with ratings on Rotten Tomatoes just about in the abysmal range, it's nice once in a while to have a good hot roast beef sandwich as there is always a chance you could end up with something far worse. Yay gruel.

This is a formula buddy picture completely relying on the chemistry of the two stars, Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. That works. The story is not bad with a few interesting twists and turns and a supporting cast that lends some interesting faces and personalities.

If there is one aspect to the proceedings that is funny and fodder for conspiracy theorists, it is that everybody is corrupt; I mean absolutely everybody including the DEA, the CIA, and the Navy. Yes, we have to contend with the usual assortment of criminals, thugs and guns for hire as part of the Mexican drug cartels led by their blood thirsty I-killed-my-way-to-the-top kingpin, but then we have the premise that the good guys are just as money hungry and are actually in bed with the bad guys. Is this how the world works? Get out your tin hats, folks. Your federal government is evil.

Edward James Olmos makes for a great Mexican drug cartel leader. I don't necessarily know this gentleman's filmography but I do recognise the face as Commander William Adama of Battlestar Galactica. Do all kingpins like to use a baseball to make a point? How about Robert De Niro as Al Capone in the 1987 crime drama The Untouchables?

Bill Paxton has a good part as the sadistic Earl, a CIA agent who is heading up some questionable operation involving the drug cartels. Questionable? No, he is offering the cartels a means of getting their drugs across the border and taking a cut. Yes, the CIA is helping the drug runners. As I said, the conspiracy theorists are going to love this one!

Final Word
I confess that originally, I wasn't going to bother to say anything about this film. Yes, I saw it but I thought it was inconsequential to try and drum up anything profound to say. It's not like I'm a professional reviewer getting paid to pump out a thousand words. But a colleague at work mentioned liking it so I thought I'd chime in with my opinion. Considering I also saw Elysium and Blue Jasmine, this is a chance to do a little comparison and let you know where I think your best investment is both in time and money. Never mind the money, we hate it when we walk out of the theatre and say to ourselves, "I want two hours of my life back!"

Without a doubt, Blue Jasmine is the best of the three. 2 Guns is a cop buddy film and Elysium is science fiction. Your choice on taste, but Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine is terrific.

2 Guns is a film you would rent when you wanted to spend a mindless Saturday evening eating nachos and cheese. Hmmm, do you choose a bottle of red or white with nachos? I'm sure 10% alcohol will improve the quality of the film and push it from "okay" to "good."


References

Rotten Tomatoes: 2 Guns (2013): 62%
Formulaic and often jarringly violent, 2 Guns rests its old-school appeal on the interplay between its charismatic, well-matched stars.

Wikipedia: 2 Guns
2 Guns (stylized as 2GUNS) is a 2013 American action comedy film directed by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur and starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. Based on a graphic novel series of the same name published by Boom! Studios, the film was released on August 2, 2013.

2013-08-13

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