2 Guns

When I first saw the trailer for '2 Guns' I couldn't wait to see it. It had so much potential to be a great film but after watching it seems to be a bit of a let down. Almost any Denzel Washington film is at least good and usually a great film, this is an exception to the rule. The plot isn't great and it isn't delivered well either. At times it is even confusing. The selection of Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg to play along side each other should have resulted in loads of funny little lines throughout the film and both actors playing off one another. This was not the case. The script didn't allow the full potential of this acting pair to be utilized. This was one of the main reasons this film fell down. Without Wahlberg and Washington being used fully it just became a mediocre action film with two expensive main actors and a confusing storyline. (6/10)

'2 Guns' turned out to be a better film than I expected it to be. I liked the plot and it had plenty of twists and turns. It is quite suspenseful in places and keeps you guessing. It is about a bank robbery (the masks here were quite cool) that goes wrong and the two have to team up to put it right.

The acting is very good. Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington were a very good team, they had a good on screen chemistry and I liked how their friendship developed. The supporting cast were also good.

The film is a mixture of action and comedy. There are good shoot out scenes and car chases etc. Then there is comedy thrown in for good measure, made even funnier because it's silly humour in a serious situation. Mark Wahlberg's character has some memorable funny moments and both do the action scenes very well.

Overall it was a good fast paced action film, it had suspense and humour too. A really good mixture. At 1 hour and 35 minutes I felt it was a good length, you got everything you wanted out of it and it wasn't dragged on like some other films would. I enjoyed it from start to finish and would recommend it.

8/10.

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/

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

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.