Guns Akimbo

This is the kind of film you have to just put your mind on autopilot for and enjoy. The action and shootout scenes are very well done, with some sharp direction and editing. The story is a little too absurd and not based in reality whatsoever, but that's the point. It reminds me a bit of the movie Shoot 'Em Up, which was another tongue-in-cheek gun extravaganza, but fortunately Guns Akimbo is a lot funnier and more stylish, making it a pretty cool watch if you're not looking for anything mind-expanding.

Slacker coder Miles Lee Harris (Daniel Radcliffe) is trying to get back with his ex Nova. He likes to troll other online trolls. He makes the wrong enemy in Skizm, an underground killing-for-entertainment society. They follow their leader Riktor in breaking into his apartment and knocking him out. He wakes up with two guns bolted to his hands. He receives texts telling him that he has 24 hours to kill expert player Nix (Samara Weaving).

The premise is fun but it can get repetitive and tiresome. It reminds me a lot of Crank which is a bit better than this. Radcliffe has this adorable personality which keeps the movie going for the first half. At some point, the concept wears thin and the movie loses the thread. I'm not sure if it's Nix's convoluted story or the unrelenting action grind. It stops mattering. So it's fun for a good while and then it's not.

"Guns Akimbo" or, in other words, Jason Lei Howden's millennial, culturally relevant in 2019 spiritual relative of "Crank". Jokes (and Howden's twitter mess) aside, "Guns Akimbo" provides some real fun, mostly in terms of action and other visual treats, with Radcliffe and Weaving adding bonus points. Other than that, it's flawed enough.

"Guns Akimbo" introduces us to a world much like ours plus "Schism", which we, thankfully, don't have as of yet. The hero, or, in simple terms, a loser (un)intentionally steps on Schism's admin's toes and now has been pitted against the champion Nix with revolvers bolted to his hands. What follows is nearly 90 minutes of action - chases, gunfights, racing, explosions and so on and so forth. It's undeniably entertaining visually and is supported by creative and dynamic camerawork, vivid and explosive color grading and crafty editing that's reaching over the line of overkill at times. Rest assured that violence gets provided in satisfactory amounts. There's so much action that compensates for the lack of some other elements & eventually "Guns Akimbo" can turn out mind-numbing for some. Radcliffe and Weaving are definitely having fun, offer up playful performances and some hit&miss one-liners. The comedy in "Guns Akimbo" is indeed of the hit&miss nature, perhaps maybe even more on the miss side. Jason Lei Howden has tried to insert social commentary, talk about our generation's thirst for blood and utter necessity to feel better at all times, the awful mess that internet is, but that all finishes its run in like the first 1/3 of the movie. Point being, "Guns Akimbo" essence and point is mostly just high entertainment value. And it's good in those terms. Besides our two shining leads, Ned Dennehy also adds some fun, being maybe a little too comicky, but eccentric and pleasantly insane villain.

"Guns Akimbo" is a top tier action flick, top notch indie eye candy & an absolute blast for the hero of the day, Daniel Radcliffe. Past all that, it's just an okay movie. If you need some fast-paced, no-brakes, easy-on-the-brain fun, this goes out as recommendation especially for You. My rating: 7/10.

I loved it and so did the two people I watched it with.

Yes, the movie is super violent. Yes, the violence is gratuitous. Yes, it is funny, but the humor is pretty NZ. (I actually laughed at one liners!!! Those that know me, know this is not my M.O.)

This movie is smart and silly and cliche in all the right ways. The camera work is crazy fast and a little nauseating at times, but you have to admire the creativity and sheer manic dedication. We all particularly loved the video game flourishes.

In fact, visually the movie is excellent, and we all agreed that the production value is off the chain. (Good work, everyone!) Acting is also excellent.

My personal favorite: the script is pretty tight- especially for a shoot 'em up, action film like this. It is fast and you have to pay attention. The writing doesn't spoon feed you anything, you have to keep up. Is the story ridiculous? YES! Does it follow some sort of logic? Yes again! I wasn't going to review this film until I saw all of the negative reviews which are frankly unmerited. I think a lot of people are put off by the female bad ass who shows no tit, does not fall in love, and remains a bad ass to the end. Yay sexism!

..and I loved every minute of it. How Radcliffe was talked into signing on to this movie I don't know, but I think every actor needs to star in one straight up, nonsensical, fun-loving trash movie. They don't all work but this one does. You just have to be willing to suspend belief and realize what you're signing up for for the next hour and a half ( let's be honest, you have to do that with almost every movie). It's a nonstop shoot 'em up, blood everywhere but still not particulalry gory kind of movie. If you don't mind trading in a great plot and fine acting for a dude with pistols bolted to both hands and a psychopathic hit woman intent on killing him, I highly recommend it.