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.

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.

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.

And away ... gone(s) away of sorts ... well no pun intended as always. This feels like it was written by a teenager - no offense even if it sounds like it. There are so many changes - highs and lows ... really tough to connect with the people/characters ... although I was pleasantly surprised with Kevin James - you may be more familiar with him as a comedian, but he can work in action movies too - as in serious and going for ... not his first foray into the action genre.

In the end though it seems to be going back to his ... comedic roots ... but not really in the best way possible. I like that there is a twist, though to be honest I kind of felt that there was more to that character anyway .. so that reveal was nothing special .. except that it kept undermining everything before. Suspension of disbelief is quite big with this one ... the delivery of very fine dialog feels forced too ... so while there are some bangers ... they don't hit home (or restaurant for that matter or whatever else) when they are spoken ... as is said in the movie itself: Everyone wants to be a lion, until they have to do lion sh... well this at least tries to do lion ... stuff, so I guess kudos for that.

Still you can have fun with this ... some liked this (friends of mine), others were left quite cold about it ... I was not too impressed to be honest, neither super disappointed ... although I would have loved better execution (well I had to end on another pun ...)

Fun, family-friendly action flick, blends action, drama, and family dynamics ideal for a popcorn night.

Unfortunately, The Trailer to "Guns Up" gives away MOST of the plot and a main twist - AVOID - The Trailer and go straight to the movie!

Action comedy featuring Kevin James as an ex-cop turned mob collector seeking a fresh start for his family, with a cast including Christina Ricci, Luis Guzmán and Joey Diaz.

Written and Directed by Edward Drake, it's a solid, entertaining watch, the storyline is engaging but not groundbreaking, with some forced dialogue and a twist that will feel predictable!

While the plot starts slow, it delivers surprises, decent dialogue, and well-choreographed action. Kevin James shines, balancing serious and comedic roles, though the film leans back toward his comedic roots unevenly.

Brendan Galvin's - Cinematography choices - excellent - as most of the filming is shot at night - so none of that "new age gotta be all dark" - instead, nighttime shots blend and transition well into the indoor scenes.