Guns Up

Aside from having to believe that Kevin James can last an entire fistfight without collapsing from exhaustion, this film leaves much to be desired.

If it's a comedy, I couldn't tell because there were no funny parts. If it's an action movie, why is Kevin James the star? How many tanks of oxygen were on hand to make sure he didn't pass out? Surely there were more donuts, but that's another story.

There's an absolutely ridiculous twist that feels forced in with an atomic shoehorn.

I give this film zero pairs of underpants from the big and tall man's shop run by Thornton Melon and his driver Pauly.

Despite featuring Melissa Leo & Luis Guzmán, light crime actioner "Guns Up" is still low-grade guff. Unable to afford to provide the life he wants for his kids (Keana Marie & Leo Easton Kelly) Kevin James goes from honest cop to henchman for code-following mob bosses Leo & Guzmán - but when nasty Timothy V Murphy takes over their firm James finds himself fighting for his own life, and those of his kids & wife Christina Ricci. Edward Drake's screenplay while silly has enough twists to keep it interesting, but his direction is flat and funny-man James just doesn't cut it as an action lead. Leo & Guzmán are top quality... but the rest of this b-movie is not (unsurprisingly).

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.

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.

This movie is a bit of a mix between Nobody and a variety of generic action movies. Kevin James is an ex cop who become a mob collector because it pays more apparently...

Its establish early that this criminal organization do have a code and are not "evil" compare to usual criminals. But then there is an hostile take over and the new boss is completely the opposite. Kevin James was about to quit but now this new evil mobster won't let him.

There is a few turns and twist and the movie has some very decent action scenes, but a fair chunk of it definately show that its a low budget direct to VOD type of action movie (even tough it may have had a limited theatre run).

The odd pairing of Christina Ricci and Kevin James had its moments, and for some reason Rusev from WWE is also in it in an enforcer role. Overall its a decent movie, while not doing anything original and surely not reaching the fun of Nobody or the action polish of John Wick.

If you have an occasion to watch it on Netflix, Prime or any streaming service you already pay for, its totally fine as a pop corn saturday night movie.