A bit of a letdown in ways that might not be expected, 2 Guns is not exactly a sign of what's wrong with Hollywood as a whole, but is rather a by-the-book exhibit of the kind of stockstandard product that whimpers into Aussie cinemas around this time of year, unceremoniously wedged between the kid-friendly fare of the school holidays and the early entrants of statuette season. High on star power and little else, the film barely gets by on its quality cast alone, churning out a mid-level blockbuster that simply tries too hard too often.
Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and Michael Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) are a pair of undercover agents from two different departments, assigned to the same task of taking down a ruthless drug cartel headed by Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). When their mission fails, the two are forced to go on the run, learning that each man thought the other was a criminal, and that they both have a sinister personal agenda at hand.
If you like needlessly convoluted movies poorly disguised as gripping political thrillers, look no further. What starts off as a mindless but easily digestible comedy gets messy faster than a coke deal gone wrong, developing arcs involving the navy stealing from the US banking sector, the CIA supposedly in cahoots with Mexican drug traffickers, and the small matter of a missing $43 million in dirty cash pursued by every man and his bull, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World-style.
It's impossible to keep up with the number of fake-outs and double-crossings that pollute almost every scene in 2 Guns, so much so that it almost feels like some characters switch allegiances twice or more in under two hours, completely nuking the line between good and evil. Ironically, it is the film's anticipated strong suit – that is, a simple story tailored to a fun Sunday afternoon in the cinema – that proves its rapid undoing, while an expectedly poor screenplay actually manages to pepper in its fair share of laughs, helped in no small part by Washington and Wahlberg's seen-a-thousand-times-but-still-funny buddy cop routine.
Elsewhere, reliable veterans Edward James Olmos and Bill Paxton (as a twisted CIA kingpin with a penchant for his own unique brand of Russian roulette) give rounded turns that are, quite frankly, too good for a film that does nothing for their respective characters. A flavourless slice of immemorable action, 2 Guns offers no answers, and will leave you asking all the wrong questions.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*
Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and Michael Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) are a pair of undercover agents from two different departments, assigned to the same task of taking down a ruthless drug cartel headed by Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). When their mission fails, the two are forced to go on the run, learning that each man thought the other was a criminal, and that they both have a sinister personal agenda at hand.
If you like needlessly convoluted movies poorly disguised as gripping political thrillers, look no further. What starts off as a mindless but easily digestible comedy gets messy faster than a coke deal gone wrong, developing arcs involving the navy stealing from the US banking sector, the CIA supposedly in cahoots with Mexican drug traffickers, and the small matter of a missing $43 million in dirty cash pursued by every man and his bull, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World-style.
It's impossible to keep up with the number of fake-outs and double-crossings that pollute almost every scene in 2 Guns, so much so that it almost feels like some characters switch allegiances twice or more in under two hours, completely nuking the line between good and evil. Ironically, it is the film's anticipated strong suit – that is, a simple story tailored to a fun Sunday afternoon in the cinema – that proves its rapid undoing, while an expectedly poor screenplay actually manages to pepper in its fair share of laughs, helped in no small part by Washington and Wahlberg's seen-a-thousand-times-but-still-funny buddy cop routine.
Elsewhere, reliable veterans Edward James Olmos and Bill Paxton (as a twisted CIA kingpin with a penchant for his own unique brand of Russian roulette) give rounded turns that are, quite frankly, too good for a film that does nothing for their respective characters. A flavourless slice of immemorable action, 2 Guns offers no answers, and will leave you asking all the wrong questions.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*