2 Guns. Rated MA 15+ (strong
violence). 109 minutes. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur. Screenplay by Blake
Masters, based on the graphic novels by Steven Grant.
Verdict: Denzel and Mark are
the new Oscar and Felix.
It should probably be illegal
to have this much fun in the face of such reckless slaughter, but Masters’ (Law
& Order: LA) excellent screenplay boasts an almost obscene amount of comedy
– delivered with absolute relish and megawatts of star power by Denzel
Washington and Mark Wahlberg.
When undercover Drug
Enforcement Administration officer Robert Trench (Washington) and his
co-conspirator Michael Stigman (Wahlberg) are easily able to carry off a daring
bank robbery that was supposed to end very differently, they find themselves on
the run and caught up in an endless web of double-crossing and intrigue. As the
motives of everyone involved become increasingly murky, Trench and Stigman have
little choice but to match wits and try to stay one step ahead of the people
who want them dead.
It’s not surprising that
Wahlberg has teamed up with the Icelandic-born Kormákur again after their
collaboration on Contraband (2012). Kormákur, like very few directors, manages
to elicit a fantastic performance from Wahlberg, who responds with an engaging,
often hilarious star turn that is brimming with confidence. Washington, too,
fresh from his magnificent performance in Flight (2012), romps through as the
police officer who inadvertently finds himself on the wrong side of the law.
The outstanding ensemble,
including Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Precious), Bill
Paxton (Titanic) and Edward James Olmos (Dexter), all provide excellent support
to the two leads. Paxton (as ruthless CIA operative Earl) and Olmos (drug lord Papi
Greco), who are both equally determined to recover their money at any cost,
succeed in ramping up the stakes every time they are onscreen.
Like Quentin Tarantino, Kormákur
and Masters refuse to take any prisoners, and it’s a credit to them and their
two stars, that we hope these rascals live to see another day. They certainly
deserve to.
This review was commissioned
by the West Australian Newspaper Group.
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