2 Guns

The right pairing of actors together can make or break a movie. And since 1967 there have been buddy cop movies. Now "In the Heat of the Night" is no "48 Hrs." or "Lethal Weapon", but the concept is the same. Two cops or cons/cops with opposite styles, attitudes, and methods coming together for a common goal. Well with "2 Guns" I think I found one of my favorite pairings in this genre and of the year, Wahlberg and Washington.

I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the screen play written by Blake Masters, or maybe it is the characters created by Steven Grant for his comic book series. I think it's the combination of both, but it was Wahlberg and Washington who make it all come alive. Bobby (Denzel Washington) and Stig (Mark Wahlberg) are two criminals trying to work their way up the crime food chain. Unbeknownst to each other, both Stig and Bobby are undercover, trying to achieve the same goal. The goal is to bring down Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos), who is a drug kingpin. The way they decide to do so is to rob a bank that Greco has some money stashed away in. Instead of getting Greco's money, Stig and Bobby rob the C.I.A of forty three million dollars. What follows is a lot of one-liners, and if the title didn't give it away, a lot of gun fights.

When it comes to the month of August, it is the place where the questionable movies go. The not-good-enough-for-July dump bin if you will. They are questionable because they are not the "big" summer movies, but summer movies none the less. When it comes to "2 Guns" I think the studio got it right. This is the perfect movie to follow all those sequels and not so fun "big summer movies" (yes I am talking to you Lone Ranger). How about a fun movie with two actors that everyone loves? With plenty of action mixed in with just the right amount of comedy, this is the kind of movie I look forward to seeing. Mark Wahlberg makes the movie, and the reason is simple, he doesn't play that guy he plays in almost every move he is in. You know the quiet but nice guy, who just looks tough. In "2 Guns" Walhberg plays a cocky bad ass, who is good at what he does and he lets you know it every chance he gets. Denzel on the other hand is just Denzel, which after saying that, I have said all I needed to say. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur, who makes a good version of a Michael Bay movie. This is a great choice if you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, because in my mind, you can never go wrong with a fun time at the movies.

Brian Taylor

http://the2cinemen.blogspot.com/

Great little film. Funny sometimes, with a litlle dose of violence, 2 Guns keep me entertained for almost 2 hours. The strong point really is the big chemestry beetween Washington and Wahlberg, the two leads. Follows the rules, albeit formulaic, but it's a nice film to watch just to have a good time. Dont see any negative aspects of it. I recommend it to action comedy fans who are in desire to see an old school movie...

Had a chance to view it this week with only the trailer as a guide as to what I was about to see. It turned out to be mildly better than I was anticipating. Mark Wahlberg brought a comical element that worked with the overall story with Denzel basically being the straight man throughout. Denzel plays his role smoothly with a slight sarcastic comedic side. I thought they both played off each other very well to keep you intrigued with the ongoing twisting plot. Good to see James Edward Olmos after a long absence from the big screen. Always be LT. Castillo from Miami Vice fame to me. Don't base your opinion on the trailer as I had. Worth a look.

2 Guns is reminiscent of buddy cop movies in the late eighties and nineties. Unlike a lot of recent throwback 80's action films, it tastefully retains much of the fun factor by concentrating on character and dialogue and removing some of the modern tropes that have gone stale, like overloading the film with pop culture references. With its setup and buddy dynamic, at times it actually reminded me of the 1996 Adam Sandler and Damon Wayons buddy cop movie Bulletproof.

What elevated 2 Guns from standard action fare were exactly the snappy lines and the buddy dynamic between Washington and Wahlberg. The two lead actors create a believable long-time friendship and it gave the movie a sizzling charm that you just can't look away from. Watching Walhberg and Washington rapidly throw zingers back and forth alone made the price of admission. After seeing his facetious performance in this film, it's easy now to imagine Mark Wahlberg taking over the role of Tony Stark in future Marvel films.

The film has a good supporting cast. James Marsden and Edward James Olmos seem overqualified for these supporting roles. It's nice to see them but they have too little time to truly shine. Paula Patton is cast in a seemingly intelligent female role, but is ultimately there for her sex appeal. Bill Paxton is the only one who gets to properly chew up some scenery as a scary CIA agent with a flair for torturing his victims.

The story moved along fast like a shark, for fear that stopping for a thoughtful pause would ruin its momentum and shatter the illusion of how complicated the plot seems. The action scenes are fun. More importantly, they are visible and you can follow what's going on. When it came to the finale, the film forgoes all the dramatic buildup from the first two acts and serves a lesser solution to its conflict. Had it been a slower moving story with less charming leads, I would have considered the finale a cop out ending.

But this time, I just went with it. 2 Guns just oozes old school charm, and charm can go a long way.

For more reviews, please visit my film blog @ http://hkauteur.wordpress.com

Hard to really complain about this film because coming into it you're going to know what you're getting just from the title and poster. I guess the cast may have made you think it was a much bigger better film, but even then the first five minutes of banter and cool, consequence- free violence should tell you what you're watching. Yes this is another action movie with two mismatched leads who trade quips and bullets with everyone in their path and each other. The details of the plot don't matter too much but it is reasonably twisty and I liked it for that even if very little of it holds any water if you examine it with more than a passing glance. Of course the job of the film is to stop you lingering on the detail and in this regard it works pretty well.

The action is overblown and the dialogue is typical corny macho fare but it is delivered with energy and good timing so it is easy to enjoy it for what it is. Although you do get the sense that Washington and Wahlberg are both slumming it a little bit, they both deliver even when not in top gear. So yes Washington appears to be channeling a watered down version of his Training Day performance while Wahlberg dos his usual cute delivery and running stuff, but it works well and they spark off each other nicely. I also liked that I never felt they took it seriously and they helped me relax into it, which is useful. The supporting cast features plenty of faces but they don't get to enjoy themselves quite as much as the lead two. Patton is stunning and the film knows it, Paxton is hammy but not quite to the level of being memorable as a villain, Olmos is generic while Marsden does what is asked of him.

This is not a great film by any means but it works within its own genre well enough and delivers what is important for that type of film. The playing of the lead two breaks no moulds but they take the genre standards and add their own star-power and charm to it, enjoying themselves while they do, which in turn makes the film easier to enjoy. If you're looking for something memorable then go elsewhere but if you want silly banter and unrealistic gunplay then this is worth a look.