Guns Up

I don't get the low rates here. It's a Kevin James movie. What did you expect? Scarface? The Godfather? The guy is a comedian and usually stars in movies that aren't that serious and probably never win a Oscar, but at least they will always be entertaining and enjoyable.

And this movie fits exactly into that mold. Nothing fancy, no extremely deep character development, no deep story, no AAA acting, none of that. Just a movie to put on while you are bored and you don't know which movie to pick. Pick this one, don't expect AAA and you will have a great time. Its fun, enjoyable and it's a good action comedy.

Now, as I stumbled upon this 2025 action comedy titled "Guns Up" and seeing that it had Kevin James in the lead, of course I had to check it out, even without ever having heard about the movie.

Writer and director Edward Drake put together a rather enjoyable and entertaining script. It was a nicely written storyline that contained a lot of action, laughs and also character building. So it was a nice movie to sit through.

The acting in "Guns Up" was good. And with the likes of Kevin James, Christina Ricci and Luis Guzmán in the movie, of course you're in quite capable company.

With "Guns Up" being an action comedy, of course there was action in the movie, and I will say that the action sequences were nicely choreographed and executed on the screen.

This is definitely a movie that I will say is worth sitting down and spending 92 minutes on watching.

My rating of writer and director Edward Drake's 2025 movie "Guns Up" lands on a well-deserved six out of ten stars.

Edward Drake delivers one of the most entertaining films of his filmography. The director and screenwriter, who worked constantly with Bruce Willis during the actor's later years, delivers a simple, straightforward yet effective film thanks to the committed cast at his disposal.

Kevin James's new role as a more serious actor bears fruit, especially in his time as a hitman. Here, he delivers all his usual charisma in a role with subtle comedic overtones that give it an added bonus. He's joined by Christina Ricci, who excels in her role as a hit machine. We also add the always efficient Luis Guzmán as a hilarious supporting actor.

It's a film that has its own small charm and works quite well as a diversion without major expectations. It has enjoyable action sequences and subtle, somewhat dark humour that embellish this action-packed, bullet-riddled film into a pleasant enough weekend watch.

Furthermore, it's a small film among this summer's blockbusters, but it still delivers exactly what it promises without any major complaints. A familiar story, with touches of humour and decent action sequences, seal the success of Guns Up.

Ex-cop works for local criminals for years in order to save enough money to open a dinner, and be able to provide for his family. But things go bad on the day he plans to get out of this line of work.

Sadly.. this script is all setup, no payoff.

There are no interesting developments, no well-written characters or even cool choreographies or moments. Worst of all, the one twist the movie has, was shown on trailers for some reason.. and isn't that particularly memorable either. It is a decent production, but the tone is off (attempting to be quirky while being a downer most of the time), the pacing is bad and the plot underwritten.

I lost interest in it rather quickly, and would not recommend it to anyone.

I'm still watching this movie in theater. I'm the only person here at a Saturday evening showing in the 1st week and I understand why. This movie does technically everything correct but it's a rehash of stereotypes from mediocre gangster and cop movies.

If it would be at least trying to imitate good movies it would be better but it doesn't. It does seem like a mid season episode of a second tier crime TV show.

Every character explains their motivations and history in the clearest and plain way, so that absolutely everyone understands is i. It is as subtle as a sledge hammer.

I can imagine it to be cool if You are a teenager and don't know to many of these movies. It has a few nice laughs.

*** Very mild spoiler ***

After finishing the movie: The third act takes a turn to the better, but still on a low level.