Smokin' Aces
Movie Review: Smokin' Aces
Stars (Out of 10): 7
One Word Summary: Blast
If ever there was a movie just for guys, it is “Smokin’ Aces.” The setup is simple and perfect—mob boss Primo Sparazza has put a million dollar hit on snitch and Las Vegas showman Buddy Israel, and now there’s a whole slew of hitmen—from the psychopath Tremor brothers to the beautiful Georgia—looking to collect before the FBI can put Israel under protective custody.
I’ve never left a movie more convinced that the entire purpose of the film was to have people shoot at each other. I don’t mean that as an insult. It works. To call the violence in this movie gratuitous is like calling oil spills environmentally unfriendly. It’s an understatement. You know what “Smokin’ Aces” is even before you walk into the theatre, and for the most part, there are no surprises and there are no disappointments. This is a violent, violent action movie, and it’s a blast (in more than one way).
The story is dumb as bricks and the twist at the end is the kind of lowest common denominator shocker that’s both unnecessary and poorly executed. Anyone who’s paying attention sees it coming a mile away, but that’s beside the point… “Smokin’ Aces” doesn’t need a twist. It’s not that kind of movie. It’s not a smart movie. It’s a movie about babes and bullets, and towards the end, when the story is lagging and you can’t stand listening to Andy Garcia’s horrendous southern accent for another second, you wish there was more of both.
Director Joe Carnahan’s vision (think poor-man’s “Snatch”) leads to a highly stylized and visually stimulating film. His cast is an eclectic group of comedy actors (Jeremy Piven and Jason Bateman), rap and R&B stars (Alicia Keys and Common, who, if you see the movie, gets wounded in a way that will probably lead to embarrassment among the likes of 50 Cent), and actors from generally bad movies (Ryan Reynolds and Ben Affleck). The result is a movie that you can’t help but like until you realize that nothing you just saw made any sense at all.
Stars (Out of 10): 7
One Word Summary: Blast
If ever there was a movie just for guys, it is “Smokin’ Aces.” The setup is simple and perfect—mob boss Primo Sparazza has put a million dollar hit on snitch and Las Vegas showman Buddy Israel, and now there’s a whole slew of hitmen—from the psychopath Tremor brothers to the beautiful Georgia—looking to collect before the FBI can put Israel under protective custody.I’ve never left a movie more convinced that the entire purpose of the film was to have people shoot at each other. I don’t mean that as an insult. It works. To call the violence in this movie gratuitous is like calling oil spills environmentally unfriendly. It’s an understatement. You know what “Smokin’ Aces” is even before you walk into the theatre, and for the most part, there are no surprises and there are no disappointments. This is a violent, violent action movie, and it’s a blast (in more than one way).
The story is dumb as bricks and the twist at the end is the kind of lowest common denominator shocker that’s both unnecessary and poorly executed. Anyone who’s paying attention sees it coming a mile away, but that’s beside the point… “Smokin’ Aces” doesn’t need a twist. It’s not that kind of movie. It’s not a smart movie. It’s a movie about babes and bullets, and towards the end, when the story is lagging and you can’t stand listening to Andy Garcia’s horrendous southern accent for another second, you wish there was more of both.
Director Joe Carnahan’s vision (think poor-man’s “Snatch”) leads to a highly stylized and visually stimulating film. His cast is an eclectic group of comedy actors (Jeremy Piven and Jason Bateman), rap and R&B stars (Alicia Keys and Common, who, if you see the movie, gets wounded in a way that will probably lead to embarrassment among the likes of 50 Cent), and actors from generally bad movies (Ryan Reynolds and Ben Affleck). The result is a movie that you can’t help but like until you realize that nothing you just saw made any sense at all.
The Bottom Line is that the plot wholes are as gaping as the acting is bad, but it’s January, the pickings are slim, and this is as good as you’re gonna get (which isn’t half bad). If you’re looking for action, “Smokin’ Aces” is the golden ticket, but a date movie it is not. Grab a bag of pocorn and your Y-chromosome, leave your brain at the door, and enjoy the bloodbath.
Comments
A generous, but accurate, review. The decision to make the story mean something - anything - was pretty misguided. Nice site, by the way. Very well designed and implemented.
Posted by: Studio 206 | January 27, 2007 4:25 PM
The most meaningless piece of garbage I've ever seen... or close to it. Why do they make movies like this?
Posted by: Rebecca | January 29, 2007 11:47 AM