Somewhere in this contrived morass of stereotypes and shoddy film making is a story with some entertainment value. Good hearted street chick meets boy gambler and they hit the road for Vegas where she meets up with her long lost dad, falls in love with her traveling companion, and both learn some lessons in life. Unfortunately, this junk flick is a laughable miscarriage with the sundry heavies more fleshed out than the protagonists. Personally, I ended up liking the hitman who refused to kill anyone on Valentine's Day more than the hero and felt more compassion for the slutty stripper than the heroine. Don't waste you time with this mess of a movie which I'm sure Dunst and Caan are trying to forget.
11 Reviews
Zzzzzzzzzzzz
MBunge26 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Do not watch this movie before operating heavy machinery. Though technically competent in many respects, Luckytown is positively soporific. It is dull and slow and lifeless. Kirsten Dunst is cutely sunny as always, but James Caan spends the entire film looking and sounding like he needs a megadose of anti-depressants. I almost had to jab myself in the groin with a hot cigarette lighter to stay awake through this thing.
Charlie Doyles (James Caan) is an aging gambler who's returned to Las Vegas to take on his old rival Tony DeCarlo (Robert Miano) in a high stakes, underground poker game. Lidda (Kirsten Dunst) is Charlie's teenage daughter. He ran out on Lidda and her trashy mother years ago, leaving them in Tulsa, Oklahoma of all places. Now on her 18th birthday, Lidda runs away from home to find her dad in Vegas. Along the way, she picks up Colonel (Vincent Kartheisen), a long-haired teenage loser who fancies himself the world's greatest poker player. Yes, his actual name is Colonel. No, they never explain what the deal is with that.
As Lidda and Colonel do their thing of young love and Charlie and Tony dance through their brutally simplistic conflict, there are three other characters who kind of wander around until they end up dead. There's Sugar (Jennifer Gareis), a stripper who used to screw Charlie, is now screwing Tony and pretty much screws every man she meets as substitute for small talk. Rounding things out are Jimmy (Luis Guzman) and Frankie (Frederico Da Vinci), two thugs who work for Tony and hang around being all ironic and stuff about being murderous criminals.
Luckytown has a lot of naked female breasts and Dunst is always enjoyable. Those are the only good qualities of the movie. The rest isn't aggressively horrible, it's just boring as all get out. There's no energy to anything that happens here. Showing 105 minutes of an old man sleeping on a park bench would have more excitement and intensity. Much of the blame for that can be placed on Caan, who sleepwalks through every scene and monotones his way through every line. But the script by Brandon Beseth is devoid of interest and the direction of Paul Nicholas never establishes a pace or a sense of importance.
Yes, Dunst does end up as a stripper at one point. No, she doesn't take off her clothes. There is a scene where she's briskly walking and you can see the boobs under her shirt bounce up and down with enough force to kill a small mouse.
The only thing this film has to offer is that it might be able to cure a case of insomnia. Apart from cinema's contribution to holistic medicine, there's nothing else here.
Charlie Doyles (James Caan) is an aging gambler who's returned to Las Vegas to take on his old rival Tony DeCarlo (Robert Miano) in a high stakes, underground poker game. Lidda (Kirsten Dunst) is Charlie's teenage daughter. He ran out on Lidda and her trashy mother years ago, leaving them in Tulsa, Oklahoma of all places. Now on her 18th birthday, Lidda runs away from home to find her dad in Vegas. Along the way, she picks up Colonel (Vincent Kartheisen), a long-haired teenage loser who fancies himself the world's greatest poker player. Yes, his actual name is Colonel. No, they never explain what the deal is with that.
As Lidda and Colonel do their thing of young love and Charlie and Tony dance through their brutally simplistic conflict, there are three other characters who kind of wander around until they end up dead. There's Sugar (Jennifer Gareis), a stripper who used to screw Charlie, is now screwing Tony and pretty much screws every man she meets as substitute for small talk. Rounding things out are Jimmy (Luis Guzman) and Frankie (Frederico Da Vinci), two thugs who work for Tony and hang around being all ironic and stuff about being murderous criminals.
Luckytown has a lot of naked female breasts and Dunst is always enjoyable. Those are the only good qualities of the movie. The rest isn't aggressively horrible, it's just boring as all get out. There's no energy to anything that happens here. Showing 105 minutes of an old man sleeping on a park bench would have more excitement and intensity. Much of the blame for that can be placed on Caan, who sleepwalks through every scene and monotones his way through every line. But the script by Brandon Beseth is devoid of interest and the direction of Paul Nicholas never establishes a pace or a sense of importance.
Yes, Dunst does end up as a stripper at one point. No, she doesn't take off her clothes. There is a scene where she's briskly walking and you can see the boobs under her shirt bounce up and down with enough force to kill a small mouse.
The only thing this film has to offer is that it might be able to cure a case of insomnia. Apart from cinema's contribution to holistic medicine, there's nothing else here.
So much wrong, but you can still do worse. Watchable.
bombersflyup16 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Luckytown engages enough, with a strong cast including Kirsten Dunst, James Caan and Vincent Kartheiser, but the whole thing's pretty amateurish.
For starters, why show what's going to happen in the opening credits. The general story and acting's fine, it's in the details and the dialogue where it falters. If you're going to base a film around a subject matter, you should at least learn the fundamentals of it. The poker scenes here make no sense, I have to assume it was an editing error, missing some footage, because anything else is beyond imaginable. Colonel saying Doyles has Queens because he supposedly has a tell, based on what? There's no board and most importantly he has FIVE cards to Doyle's TWO, they're not even playing the same game. Well at least that's what the viewer sees, I'm sure that wasn't the case when filming it, otherwise someone surely would've said something. The heads up game's just as ridiculous... In the end you kind of get nothing, Lidda loses her father, neither showcase poker ability. The two leave with no better pathway than before, unbeknownst to them, with a large sum of blood money. Jennifer Gareis, the most memorable part of the film, absolutely stunning.
For starters, why show what's going to happen in the opening credits. The general story and acting's fine, it's in the details and the dialogue where it falters. If you're going to base a film around a subject matter, you should at least learn the fundamentals of it. The poker scenes here make no sense, I have to assume it was an editing error, missing some footage, because anything else is beyond imaginable. Colonel saying Doyles has Queens because he supposedly has a tell, based on what? There's no board and most importantly he has FIVE cards to Doyle's TWO, they're not even playing the same game. Well at least that's what the viewer sees, I'm sure that wasn't the case when filming it, otherwise someone surely would've said something. The heads up game's just as ridiculous... In the end you kind of get nothing, Lidda loses her father, neither showcase poker ability. The two leave with no better pathway than before, unbeknownst to them, with a large sum of blood money. Jennifer Gareis, the most memorable part of the film, absolutely stunning.
lifeless drama
SnoopyStyle20 May 2015
Lidda (Kirsten Dunst) leaves Tulsa, Oklahoma and her mother to find her father Charlie Doyles (James Caan), a professional gambler in Vegas. She carries around a check from him. She takes store clerk Colonel (Vincent Kartheiser) along for the ride when somebody comes collecting his debt. Colonel considers himself to be a poker player. Charlie faces old nemesis Tony in high stakes poker. Charlie is in love with stripper Sugar working in Tony's club. Jimmy works for Tony to rob and then kill gamblers. Tony's nephew Frankie arrives from Italy to be the new member of the crew.
This movie is very clunky. Nobody is particularly compelling. Kirsten is grumpy and Vincent is no leading man. They don't have any chemistry. James Caan is coasting on his reputation in this movie. Luis Guzmán is a passable hit-man but he's capable of much more. This is trying to be a hard-boiled crime drama and personal drama. It doesn't have the style or any good writing. It doesn't have any thrills or tension. It stumbles on and on as the audience waits for Lidda to finally meet up with Charlie.
This movie is very clunky. Nobody is particularly compelling. Kirsten is grumpy and Vincent is no leading man. They don't have any chemistry. James Caan is coasting on his reputation in this movie. Luis Guzmán is a passable hit-man but he's capable of much more. This is trying to be a hard-boiled crime drama and personal drama. It doesn't have the style or any good writing. It doesn't have any thrills or tension. It stumbles on and on as the audience waits for Lidda to finally meet up with Charlie.
potboiler...without enough water..Gareis plays thermonuclear babe...
pjp-88 August 2001
I saw the video version of LuckyTown...and it has high aspirations beyond what it was able to achieve....however, some scenes (such as those of the "road trip" sequences) could have been edited more for length....and slowed things down...I think that Kirsten Dunst cast in her role was not appropriate, as I feel that the character was not and did not evolve through her experiences...perhaps this role was a bit too early in Kirsten's carrer repetoire...James Caan's characterization was not very 3-dimensional either....not enough there for him to "turbo it up" into something one woul d expect from James like in his roles from the 1970s...but one actress stole the show (as it was)...and that was Jennifer Gareis...yowza...she plays to the hilt the "Sugar" character--a prostitute/junkie/grifter..too bad that they didn't allow for more character development...she looks really good in all theh outfits that they had her wear, and she also looks fantastic disrobed as well (a thermonuclear babe, a zoomy girl)...indeed, there is a sex scene (on top of a pool table with Miano) that should rank in the PLayboy's Top 25 Lovemaking Scenes of the last five years....additionally, there is a scene where Gareis' character disrobes and comes on to James CAan's character, and he declines her invitation! I doubt that I would have had such self control in similar circumstances.... And Luis Guzman, no matter if he is put into an excellent film or a terrible one, gives his all, and had the best overall performance in this picture of a superstitious hitman who won't kill anyone on Valnentine's DAy (the day most of the story takes place on) because previously he killed his girlfriend and her secret lover on that day...."Bad luck and things happen on this day" he observes....despite higher aspirations, this potboiler doesn't have the water to keep boiling....but I give them an A for aspirations, and a C for execution...
Not a great movie but..
stiff511 August 2008
Luckytown can be an entertaining flick to watch with a group of friends. Disregarding all of the goofy duologue, overused storyline, and some lazy character development, Luckytown could actually be a fun movie. Try not to take it too seriously, even though it tries too hard to be serious. The only real complaints I had was the acting of Vincent Kartheiser. His duologue was very cheesy at times and his acting didn't make it any better. I really liked Luis Guzman. I also liked James Caan and Kirsten Dunst. There are some decent action scenes and the relationship of Lidda and Colonial can be very interesting at times. I thought the director really tried to give a good effort, even though a lot of the film fails. To enjoy this Luckytown you have to go in with a sense of just wanting to see an entertaining film. Don't expect it to be amazing. But overall take Luckytown as a fun popcorn movie!
oh puh-LEEZ!
fairygirl41122 June 2002
This movie is so dumb. The James Caan parts of it are a lame excuse for soft-core porn and pseudo-gangster antics. The Kirsten Dunst/Vincent Kartheiser parts have the potential to be really, really good -- good dialogue building a truly interesting relationship. BUT. Kirsten's acting sucks -- it just sucks in every way possible. They have no chemistry.
The character of Lidda (Dunst) wasn't "bad" enough for me -- she wasn't much of anything, it was like she was reading her lines and had no clue what was going on. Vincent Kartheiser's Colonel was just about the only believable character -- I liked Colonel a lot. But it didn't help the film much.
I didn't appreciate the none-too-subtly cloaked symbolism (i.e. the "Second Chance Motel," the whole movie happening on and around Valentine's Day). The ending was also stupid -- it's supposed to be optimistic, a "fresh start," but PLEASE. You know she's going to keep smoking, and he's going to keep gambling, and they'll get sick of each other really fast and break up again. It didn't convince me.
The character of Lidda (Dunst) wasn't "bad" enough for me -- she wasn't much of anything, it was like she was reading her lines and had no clue what was going on. Vincent Kartheiser's Colonel was just about the only believable character -- I liked Colonel a lot. But it didn't help the film much.
I didn't appreciate the none-too-subtly cloaked symbolism (i.e. the "Second Chance Motel," the whole movie happening on and around Valentine's Day). The ending was also stupid -- it's supposed to be optimistic, a "fresh start," but PLEASE. You know she's going to keep smoking, and he's going to keep gambling, and they'll get sick of each other really fast and break up again. It didn't convince me.
Absolutely dreadful
jhs3916 November 2003
Kirsten Dunst usually makes good choices, but this one ranks with her Crow movie as the worst. Absolutely dreadful drama about 18 year old girl who leaves home to meet her professional poker playing father (James Caan) who sends her birthday cards but was otherwise never a part of her life. There isn't a single moment in this disaster that rings true. Avoid at all costs.
Half-naked Kristen Dunst in a Vegas Romp? Why Not?
The_Great_And_Powerful_OZ8 July 2002
This moive was the biggest piece of trash and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT
I loved it in that guilty pleasure sort of way... in that 2 AM in the morning and you're looking for an excuse to stay awake kind of way... hoping against hope that Kirsten will finally take off her clothes, glory in her newfound abilities with the pole and dump her wussy boyfriend.
I am disappointed to report, none of these things happen
However, Luis Guzman kicks some ass. A surly Robert Miano (Donnie Brasco) nails the hell out of some MAXIM covergirl. Kirsten does make a pretty decent stripper.
On the other hand, the direction in this movie is awful. The writer, Brenden Beseth, stumbles between Bukowski and illiteracy. The punk who plays the lead should never be allowed to act (yeah right) again.
However, I liked the movie. So many films are unintentionally terrible, that this film is almost satisfying. It's not trying to elevate above the shoddy source material. It's not pretending to be anything that it's not...
Luckytwn is just A BLOODY VEGAS ROMP. A little film outclassed by its heavyweight movie stars...
a guilty pleasure to say the least....
I loved it in that guilty pleasure sort of way... in that 2 AM in the morning and you're looking for an excuse to stay awake kind of way... hoping against hope that Kirsten will finally take off her clothes, glory in her newfound abilities with the pole and dump her wussy boyfriend.
I am disappointed to report, none of these things happen
However, Luis Guzman kicks some ass. A surly Robert Miano (Donnie Brasco) nails the hell out of some MAXIM covergirl. Kirsten does make a pretty decent stripper.
On the other hand, the direction in this movie is awful. The writer, Brenden Beseth, stumbles between Bukowski and illiteracy. The punk who plays the lead should never be allowed to act (yeah right) again.
However, I liked the movie. So many films are unintentionally terrible, that this film is almost satisfying. It's not trying to elevate above the shoddy source material. It's not pretending to be anything that it's not...
Luckytwn is just A BLOODY VEGAS ROMP. A little film outclassed by its heavyweight movie stars...
a guilty pleasure to say the least....
Dreck.
quinnmass14 December 2002
As a movie, the movie sucked. It sucked in the kind of dismally bad way that only the laziest of movies can. The young male romantic interest of Kirsten Dunst ranks high in the pantheon of Characters that Should Be Killed As Soon As Possible With a Blunt Instrument - he is as likeable as the Dell Guy.
However, the only reason I write is to comment on the poker scene, which takes the cake for spectacular laziness. For a movie involving two characters who are supposed to be the top two greatest poker players in the world, it would be nice if the writer had actually bothered to peruse the rudimentary structure of poker games.
In the scene where James Caan plays the kid at poker, Caan is playing Texas Hold'em. The kid, however, is apparently playing 5-card draw. Caan's TWO cards face down are pocket Queens. That's unfortunate for him, because the kid has FIVE cards in his hand, which contain at least trip deuces. Let's make sure we got that. In the same hand of poker, one guy is playing a completely different form of poker than the other!! HA HA HA HA HA HA. When I saw this, I sat in stunned, giggly disbelief.
This is not a little error. It is unforgiveable sloppiness, especially when you bill your movie as a Vegas, gambling movie that involves the two greatest poker players in the world. It's as if a 5th grader wrote this. If it were a sports movie, it would be like one guy playing his golf shot while his opponent, a football player, tackles him. Retarded. Just like the entire surrounding movie.
However, the only reason I write is to comment on the poker scene, which takes the cake for spectacular laziness. For a movie involving two characters who are supposed to be the top two greatest poker players in the world, it would be nice if the writer had actually bothered to peruse the rudimentary structure of poker games.
In the scene where James Caan plays the kid at poker, Caan is playing Texas Hold'em. The kid, however, is apparently playing 5-card draw. Caan's TWO cards face down are pocket Queens. That's unfortunate for him, because the kid has FIVE cards in his hand, which contain at least trip deuces. Let's make sure we got that. In the same hand of poker, one guy is playing a completely different form of poker than the other!! HA HA HA HA HA HA. When I saw this, I sat in stunned, giggly disbelief.
This is not a little error. It is unforgiveable sloppiness, especially when you bill your movie as a Vegas, gambling movie that involves the two greatest poker players in the world. It's as if a 5th grader wrote this. If it were a sports movie, it would be like one guy playing his golf shot while his opponent, a football player, tackles him. Retarded. Just like the entire surrounding movie.
Not Writer's Fault
dbholt_993 February 2013
Indeed, dumb. But don't blame the writer--he had written a kick ass script before this clumsy director got involved and made him re-write it 2-3 times and sucked all the life out of it. The original script was great and had Martin Sheen set to play Charlie. The writer, fresh out of UCLA, was set to direct it. At the last minute the funding dried up and one of the actors got the script to Paul, who then took over as director. He was flush with money from a German media company. He pushed Brendan aside as director and this mess was created. Probably destroyed the confidence (and career) of a promising young writer in the process.
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