Smokin' Aces

Hey kids, do you like violence? Cause I have nearly 2 hours of senseless violence ready and available for your viewing pleasure. What about me? I am and always have been completely in favor of violence with or without sense. Although Smokin’ at least provided a reason for bullets, the problem is that they decided to throw in deep message at the end. You can’t have it both ways. It is either mindless action or profound underlying meanings that may change your life. This time around I was a willing participant to A but the inclusion of B soured me to the whole experience.

The good thing about a movie made by Joe Carnahan, and I can say this because this plus Narc creates the beginning of a pattern; he enjoys the trappings of the R rating. If you are going to be overly profane at least be creative and have fun with it. Ryan Reynolds, Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Ray Liotta, Common freaking Sense, among others all get their chance. Then after the jokes it would segue way into everyone shooting each other. Also a dude sat on a chainsaw, for a split second I thought Piven knocked someone’s eye out with a playing card and it was awesome for that second, Alicia Keys, Bateman’s cold sore and saying the phrase “dick beaters”, and the Beyonce to Big Foot line.

Like I was saying earlier, the conclusion to the plot was ridiculous even for this movie. The reveals were on the nose and the emotional finale was not earned in the slightest. The only thing it accomplished was to make me laugh. That and it really made me wonder about the security at hospitals since it really seems like the intensive care doors have magical locks.

Overall bullets flying and buckets of blood were big positives and on their own make the movie worth seeing but the final 15 minutes drops it a few levels.

6 out of 10