Rated
R (Violence Throughout, Language and Brief Nudity)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 49 Minutes
Cast-
Denzel
Washington-Robert 'Bobby' Trench
Mark
Wahlberg-Michael 'Stig' Stigman
Paula
Patton-Debbie
Bill
Paxton-Earl
Edward
James Olmos-Papi Greco
James
Marsden-Quince
Robert
John Burke-Jessup
Fred
Ward-Admiral Tuwey
Greg
Sproles-Chief Lucas
Patrick
Fischler-Dr. Ken
Directed
by Baltasar Kormákur
 |
| Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg star in the late-summer action comedy "2 Guns." |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.
This
is it, folks. We've finally hit August, or what we affectionately call the 'Dog
Days of Summer.' Most studios have already released their biggest films by this
point but I wouldn't count August out of the fight just yet. While the next four
weeks is generally a slower time at the box office, it's still possible for the
month to pull in at least one or two more $100 million-sized hits…or a lot of
flops. Looking to get a head start on the competition is "2 Guns"
from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur. Based on the 2007 limited series of
the same name from former Punisher
writer Steven Grant and published by BOOM! Studios, the film stars Denzel Washington
and Mark Wahlberg as rival undercover officers who are forced to work together after
a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. Universal Pictures is clearly hoping
their combined star power will make up for their recent comic book bomb "R.I.P.D."
and having Washington (who's coming off from his Academy Award-nominated turn
in Robert Zemeckis' "Flight") as one of the leads is definitely a major
plus since he's one of Hollywood's most consistent box office earners. Wahlberg
(who previously worked with Kormákur on 2012's "Contraband"),
however, is having something of an off year with April's "Pain and Gain"
topping out at a respectable $49.7 million while January's "Broken
City" outright flopped with a paltry $19.7 million. Although "2 Guns"
suffers from a formulaic and tonally inconsistent script as well as a needlessly
convoluted plot, this late-summer action comedy manages to overcome its
shortcomings thanks to the sheer charisma of its two leads.
Partners-in-crime
Robert 'Bobby' Trench (Denzel Washington) and Michael 'Stig' Stigman (Mark Wahlberg)
are looking to negotiate a major cocaine deal with Mexican drug cartel leader Papi
Greco (Edward James Olmos) but neither of them knows that the other is actually
an undercover agent employed by rival agencies. Trench works for the DEA while Stig
is an off-the-books Naval Intelligence officer who's been listed as AWOL after he
shot an MP. Unable to come to an agreement with the drug lord, Trench and Stig decide
to rob a small-town bank known to house a part of Greco's fortune in Tres Cruces,
New Mexico. Although the heist goes off without a hitch, their expected $3
million payday turns into a $43 million score. Driving out to the desert, the duo
immediately turns on each other but Stig manages to pull his gun out first and grazes
Trench in the shoulder. Spying Trench's badge in his hand, Stig is shocked to discover
that his partner is with the DEA. Despite his orders, he does not kill him and
simply drives off with the money to give to his commanding officer Quince (James
Marsden). However, Stig is forced to go on the run when Quince orders his
fellow soldiers to put him down for refusing to execute Trench. Meanwhile, a shadowy
individual named Earl (Bill Paxton) comes looking for the stolen money and frames
Trench for the murder of his boss Jessup (Robert John Burke). With the help of
his fellow agent and sometime lover Debbie (Paula Patton), Trench learns of Stig's
connection to the Navy and reluctantly teams up with him in order to defuse an already
out-of-control situation.
Judging
from its generic title and poster, "2 Guns" seems like it's more suited
for a January or February release rather than a late-summer one. That being said,
Universal has positioned the film at just the right time because at this point,
many moviegoers will be looking for a change-of-pace from all the big-budget blockbusters
that have dominated theaters for the past three months. Falling back on the
tried-and-true formula of mismatched buddies being forced to work together,
"2 Guns" opens with our two main characters scoping out a bank across
the street. While Trench cases the joint by purchasing a safety deposit box, Stig
heads over to the diner and like an old married couple, the two start bickering
over the phone on what to order. Peppered throughout the film, these witty dialogue
exchanges are perhaps too derivative of Tarantino but there's a crackling, fun
energy to them that allows the story to remain partially engaging even as it grows
increasingly ridiculous and nonsensical.
Written
by Blake Masters, the script initially plays things close to the chest and makes
absolutely no mention of Trench and Stig's true identities. As far as we're
concerned, these two guys are just simple criminals looking to buy drugs. Only
when they're pulled over by customs at the U.S.-Mexican border is Trench revealed
to be an undercover DEA agent but it's all handled in a very matter-of-fact manner.
He's trying to bring Papi Greco down while Stig is…well, I'm not sure because
it's never made entirely clear why the Navy would need to steal drug money to fund
their own operations. The murky plotting becomes increasingly problematic as
the film progresses, with Trench and Stig eventually being chased by three factions
(Papi Greco, Quince, and Earl) who want nothing more than to get their hands on
that $43 million. As the twists begin to pile on top of one another, it gets
harder to care about what happens. In addition, Kormákur's attempts to add meaning
to the picture just come across as half-baked with its criticism of the U.S. as
corrupt and full of shady backdoor dealing. The violence tries to lean toward
the darkly comic tone that typifies the Coen Brothers' work but how is seeing
someone gruesomely lose at Russian roulette supposed to be funny? "2 Guns"
never really locks down a consistent tone; sometimes it's serious and sometimes
it's not while the confused, convoluted story mistakes itself for being clever.
Action-wise,
it's pretty low-key, which is actually refreshing given how almost every film
released this summer has featured some sort of citywide destruction. There's a
fun car chase between Trench and Stig where the two trade blows until they're
literally lying on the ground in a bro-mantic embrace. Most of the explosions
are left to the end as our dynamic duo take on everyone that's been chasing
after them for the past ninety minutes. The old school, no-frills approach that
Kormákur's uses for the set-pieces work to the film's advantage yet the biggest
asset that "2 Guns" has is the presence of Denzel Washington and Mark
Wahlberg. You see, this is one of those times where sub-par material can be
elevated if the director gets the casting right. Washington's role as Trench
isn't too far removed from his wheelhouse but he lends the character a cool
swagger, easily switching to a more serious demeanor whenever the scene calls
for it. Wahlberg's Stig is more of a wise guy who's barely able to contain his
excitement at the prospect of teaming up with Trench. Their easy chemistry is
playful and single-handedly saves what would've been a mediocre picture.
Playing
the villains are James Marsden, Edward James Olmos, and Bill Paxton. While Marsden
seems out of place with his All-American looks, the others deliver scenery-chewing
performances, particularly Paxton with his character's over-the-top Southern
accent and penchant for Russian 'roo-lette.' Olmos at one point even urinates on his own hands before whacking
Trench and Stig, who are hanging upside down by their feet, with an axe handle.
Getting the short shrift is Paula Patton, who plays Trench's on-and-off love
interest. Unfortunately, there's no attempt to develop her character and her
nude scene should've been left on the cutting room floor because it serves no
purpose whatsoever.
Released
on August 2, 2013, "2 Guns" has received mildly positive reviews with
59% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it 'formulaic and often jarringly violent'
but ultimately gave it a pass due to 'the interplay between its charismatic,
well-matched stars.' This is one of the few films that have the best chance of
grossing $100 million for the month of August and it should reach that amount
without too much difficulty given the pedigree of its two leads. Universal is
currently expecting a weekend total around $20 million but $30 to $35 million
seems more likely. "2 Guns" isn't exactly a must-see but it remains a
fun time-waster despite the film's scatterbrained story. You could certainly do
a lot worse…like "The Smurfs 2"!
Final
Rating: 3 out of 5
"You're my people and there's a code. You fight for the guy that's
fighting next to you."
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