2 Guns

When the credits started, I had a big smile on my face.

What is your perception of 2 Guns? Whether you've seen the trailer or read the comic, you might have an idea what sort of movie this is. If so, you will be correct and happy you decided to watch it.

The big surprise many seem to have is the fact that this movie is based on the 2 GUNS comic Boom! Studios put out in 2007. I'll admit, despite the fact that I've always read a lot of Boom's comics, this series somehow completely snuck by. I did read the series before watching the movie. Whether or not you should do that, we'll get to that in minute.

The movie stars Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. That in itself is pretty impressive. These two actors crank up the charisma during the movie. You can't help but enjoy their presence on screen.

These two guys are planning on robbing a bank. It turns out it wasn't a simple bank and they ended up with way more than they thought. The twists and turns avalanche upon them as they discover others that are interested in the money plus the fact that they don't know each other as well as they thought. If you've watched the trailer, you probably know more about the movie than you should.

Washington and Wahlberg are great together. For a movie with a lot of shooting and one- liners, it's the kind you can just become immersed in. This is pure entertainment. Parts may get a little outrageous and a tad predictable. But there are still plenty of twists to catch you off guard. You'll laugh, you'll be on the edge of your seat and you'll even find yourself flinching or cringing a little at times.

Should you or should you not read the comic first?

That really depends on how much you want to know ahead of time. Some of the twists weren't revealed in the trailers. The movie is pretty faithful to the comic, something pretty rare for a "comic book movie." There are obviously some minor differences but if you have read it before, you'll smile hearing some lines taken directly from the comic. Washington's casting is a bit of a departure. I felt as if his character and Wahlberg's were closer in age in the comic. But seeing the two together, it absolutely does not matter. These two made the movie fun.

You're probably aware this isn't a piece of fine art. It's not meant to be. Usually at this point in the summer, all the "big" Hollywood movies have been released. This is a movie that gives you a reason to go back to the theaters one more time.

It's more than just about Washington and Wahlberg. Those two could have easily carried the burden of being the box office draw. We are also treated to great performances by Bill Paxton, Edward James Olmos, James Marsden and Paula Patton. That's what makes the movie even more of a pleasant surprise. You get a sense that some thought and care was put into the making of this movie. Not only is it faithful to the comic, the filmmakers also made sure it had a great cast and delivered a really good quality production.

The movie is rated R. Clearly there is quite a bit of violence. There's plenty of shooting, killing and explosions. It gets a little over the top but that's what you should expect from this kind of movie. There is also some brief nudity and plenty of profanity. In other words, this isn't a family film. What it is is a movie you go see with your friends. Buy some popcorn, lean back in your seat and just enjoy the movie and have a great time.

I mentioned leaving the theater with a smile. It's not a "feel good" movie. But it will make you laugh and give you a good time. That's exactly what I want for my money. It's fun and absurd with over the top action. Do I want a sequel? Boom! Studios did release 3 GUNS this week. I would indeed love to see these two return to the characters.

Bobby (Beans) Trench (Denzel Washington) and Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) work together to rob a bank where they know drug lord Papi (Edward James Olmos) keeps his money, but each doesn't know the other is a lawman trying to take Papi down. However, instead of the $3-million they expect from Papi's money, they take out about $43-million. Now, they are confused. Whose money is this?

And, from here things get twisty after Stig learns that Bobby Beans is a DEA agent and shoots Bobby and takes off with the money. And also, it is here that the story hinges on the $43-million and brings out other players from the woodwork.

We are not sure if Bobby Beans and/or Stig are really good guys or bad guys and it takes a long while for us to know which is which. This holds us because we want each one to be a good guy.

The interplay between the Washington and Wahlberg characters is good, but I found it and some of their snappy lines "forced" at times.

However, this is entertaining mostly because of the pacing, very good stunts and the twists around every corner. Just when you think things would get somewhat better, another twist comes into play to make matters worse. Other players like Bill Paxton as Earl, Paula Patton as Deb and James Marsden as Commander Quince aka Harvey contribute to the complications big time. (7/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: Yes, briefly. Language: Yes, at times.

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...

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.

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'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.