Les hommes de main

Born the son of a powerful, fearsome Brooklyn crime boss, wannabe mobster Pepper recruits low-rent pals Diesel, Green, and Davoli to make a routine delivery, impress his old man, then finally go into business with him. Unfortunately for the young man and his pals, they get stuck in a bleak little Montana town where violence, mayhem, and every other thing that can go wrong eventually does. It's no Goodfellas, but this watchable, well-crafted little mob story is easy to take, and goes a long way on its appealing cast and dark, profane sense of humor. The only major let down is the story which, while interesting, lacks momentum and builds toward a familiar conclusion. A not bad showing from the film's young and old cast alike, especially Pepper and Diesel. **½

I can't believe how bad this movie is. The script is laughable.

All I can say about the performances is, the post office must have been busy when it was made, because it looks to me like the actors just mailed them in. My guess is, John Malkovich couldn't decide whether to play it like "The Godfather" or "Johnny Dangerously." His performance leans more towards Johnny Dangerously. Seth Green is the best of the lot. I was going to put in some info about the unoriginal, uninteresting, ending, but I won't. If you go see this movie, rest assured, the ending dones eventually arrive.

This is another of those films I thought was great the first time, so-so on the second. Overall, it got high marks - at least on the first viewing - because it's an entertaining film that doesn't overstay its welcome at 92 minutes.

Four young guys get involved in their first Mafia-type adventure. One is asked to do a simple job of picking up a bag of money out west and bringing it back home to Brooklyn. However, troubles ensue big-time when the bag is stolen at the little airport out West. His three friends have to come out and help him get the money back and all kinds of problems develop.

There is some black humor in here which helps spice up the film, which then turns very serious about halfway through with a few shocking twists near the end.

There are two famous veteran actors in here - Dennis Hopper and John Malkovich - and four young ones who becoming better known these days as well: Seth Green, Vin Diesel, Barry Pepper and Andrew Davoli.

The only problem I had with the movie is Pepper, who played Roger Maris, the famous baseball player in the film '61." He looks so much like Maris that I can't believe him as anyone else! To us baseball fans, Pepper will always be Maris and nobody else.

Patience is the key element in watching a mafia movie. "Knockaround Guys" didn't require any patience for me, and I was hooked at the first scene. This movie gives a formal description of friend and enemy. Who exactly is the real "bad guy" in a mafia movie? In most mafia movies it is quite obvious who the bad guy is, but this one will keep the viewer guessing. Berry Pepper plays the son of a well-known gangster. He, however, does not want to follow in the footsteps of his father. Peppers character's name is Matty Demaret, and he wants to be a sports caster. He has no luck finding a job because people know of his father's past. So, after a bombing interview , Matty decides that working for his father may be the only way for him to make a living, but Matty's father and uncle beg to differ. They believe Matty doesn't have what it takes to be in the mafia. After he convinces his father that he's got what it takes, his father gives him a job. Matty tells his father that he and his friend Johnny Marbles (Seth Green) will go out on their mission to collect money. Marbles flies planes, so he will be able to fly to collect the money. He was given strict orders to come straight back to Matty with the cash, but Marbles gets side tracked. He stops to get gas at a small airport, and leaves the bag unattended. The bag ends up getting into the hands of the sheriff, and he wants to keep the money for himself. Matty then calls his other two friends in to help. Chris Scarpa (Andrew Davoli)who is a sweet talking mob wanna be, and Taylor Reese (Vin Diesel) is the only one is the whole movie who actually looked and acted like a real gangster. The four boys travel to a small town in hopes of finding the money. Matty knows that if he doesn't get that money back, his father will be dead, and he will be a failure. This movie makes the viewer not want to take their eyes off the screen. I was very surprised at who was the real bad guy behind the plot. I think that anyone who watches this movie will be shocked at all the twist and turns. I would recommend this movie to anyone, because it was very easy to follow. I enjoyed this film.

Loved this movie! It's the type of movie you'd want to see more than once; so much of the humor is so subtle that it's easily missed. Deals w/ the next generation of baby mobsters, & how much has changed since "back in the day". Performances by Pepper, Davoli & Green have a surprising depth; their characters are so immediately recognizable that it's almost scary. As a strong Diesel fan, I have no complaints at all about the Taylor Reese character. Diesel's moody acceptance of his position in life & his lack of options, is gloomy, but believable. The strong point of the film is the loyalty & love the characters have for each other. It gives a true nobility to characters who mainly live outside the law.

See it twice. No, three times!

rating: 8 out of 10 (Okay, I really mean 9!)