At first glance the idea of a director Joe Carnahan helming a movie like Smokin Aces seems a bit odd considering his previous effort, the low budget gritty NARC which delved into the less glamorous ends of crime cinema. Aces' trailer suggested something in the area of a Guy Richie or Quentin Tarantino movie injected with Speed, not something like NARC. Was this assignment the wrong one for the relatively new director to handle?

The plot itself is standard movie mob. Buddy "Aces" Israel is a big time Las Vegas performer who's got in to deep on the wrong side of the law and has decided to save his own skin by ratting out big time members of the West Coast Cosa Nostra. Needless to say this doesn't sit well with the individuals on the chopping block who put out a big contract on Israel's head. Cue a band of assassins, FBI agents and bloody action as everyone moves for the prize who's ensconced in a hotel penthouse.

A lot of Carnahan's touches from NARC do worm there way into the proceedings his habit of close camerawork on characters faces and certain scenes doused on a washed out veneer but plenty more is from the Tarantino/Ritchie playbook. Frenetic cuts and camerawork litter large parts of the proceedings, everyone has highly memorable middle names and none of the assassins could ever be called dull. We get a collection of Sicilian mercenaries loopy neo-Nazis with machetes and Chainsaws (one has to admire a movie which allows an assassin to use a chainsaw), and no nonsense fully armed females (which includes Alicia Keys in highly enjoyable form). We also get Ben Affleck making another appearance on the road to career rehabilitation as a bondsman and Carnahan favourite Ray Liotta as an FBI agent. All in all an entertaining cast even Ryan Reynolds gets to cool off on the comedy and act all serious as Liotta's partner.

The trailer suggested non stop action but in reality we could never expect that despite the thumping Motorhead back-up music so instead we get a lot of build-up play but there is no need to feel disappointment as it seems Carnahan can do build-up pretty damn well. He teases out the chance of violence every few minutes after the exposition high first 1/3 (of which you'll probably only pick up half of what was said, which thankfully doesn't matter too much in the big scheme of the movie bar a pretty clearly telegraphed plot twist). Some suggestive music and players getting into position is enough to have you thinking the sparks will fly before Carnahan pulls back and allows the wait to continue. It's a true credit to the director however that none of this feelS contrived or boring instead having the strange effect of making the movies pace seem faster. Last years Lucky Number Slevin had all the pace of a snail by comparison.

When the action finally hits, it truly delivers, and then some. The stylised mayhem on display grips you in a way most action films have failed to replication in quite a while. All touches of slow motion, blazing gunfire and of course the previously mentioned chainsaw, in the relatively short time the action elements play. Indeed Carnahan makes a serious case for being the best man to direct an action movie in Hollywood at the moment. A big budget Hollywood blockbuster awaits this mans hands if the powers that be have any sense.

But it isn't all sunshine and roses however. Liotta's and Reynolds characters are a tad to serious for proceedings compared to some of the assassins in the mix and the movies ending attempts to saddle what went before with something way to deep and meaningful for this type of movie, instead ending up do nothing more then making a major character look like an impulsive idiot.

For a January release however, a month usually reserved for the dregs and holiday cast-offs this delivers the goods. Carnahan can continue his rise thru the Hollywood ranks.

B

This movie aims for "Snatch" but barely scratches the libia.

C+

I went in fully expecting a C movie but Carnahan's direction during the action scenes really was laudable. I'll agree with Neo thou that it wasn't as good as Snatch but I don't think that s what it was aiming for. Carnahan isn't that type of director.

Yeah, it was enjoyable ( I really like Alicia Keys and her story line), but i found like it was a bit too similar with snatch and that it was aiming to be like it and my sister and two friends agreed as well. I gave it a C+ when i saw it (which was Dec 15 i think) but yeah i agree with you that it was very enjoyable and the grade might increase. The elevator scene was pretty cool as well.

Ya that was fun. Althou quite how both men took at least 6 bullets in the chest and lived i'll never know.

On one hand, its ridiculous and not terribly original, and really not worth my time. But on the other hand, it's pretty intelligent, well directed and incredibly fkn fun.

Energetic and often fairly entertaining, but ultimately rather slight. The plot ends up being too complicated for a film that doesn't earn the right to go off in that many tangents - a weak conclusion and a lame twist ground the film to a halt after a stirring middle section. Smokin' Aces also seemed confused about what it was trying to be; some of the actors in the movie act like they're in a dark comedy and the others act like this is Shakespeare. The eclectic cast doesn't really have much to do, and none of them ever really develop much, but there are some standouts. Ryan Reynolds is surprisingly effective at playing it straight, while Jeremy Piven is believable as a strung-out druggie and Alicia Keys is a natural screen performer (and watch out for Jason Bateman in a hilarious cameo). If all of Smokin' Aces had been as good as the middle section, it would deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Tarantino or even something like Lucky Number Slevin. As it is, it's only an average effort. C+

If this isn't even in the same league as Lucky Number Slevin, I'll pass. Gross.

I wonder how hard it was to screw a concept like this up. I mean... bounty millionaire, and a legion of hitmen facing off against each other trying to kill him. It's the perfect action storyline. Unfortunately it looks like it got too caught up in its own complications, attempts at style, attempts at grit, etc. Scorsese or Tarantino could've made a masterpiece out of this idea.

I would hate to see Scorsese or Tarantino take on this story. Neither could do it justice (or, it wouldn't do them justice.)

And I think it is definitely in the same league as Lucky Number Slevin, for better or worse. Along with Crank and Running Scared, that's the film it most recalls.

Well, not really this story itself... but the concept of hitmen facing off against each other.

The problem with the movie is just how much of a mess it is, really. I can't remember seeing something so schizophrenic in recent memory.

Maybe a little more C than C+, for me

Yeah, I can stay home and enjoy my own schizophrenia without cost.

6/10 (C+)

Disappointing. The action scenes are great and the entire second half of the film is incredibly entertaining and fast-paced. But the story itself is incredibly complicated and hard to follow, and there are awkward shifts in tone throughout the entire duration. Alicia Keys delivers the standout performance and her storyline was easily the most interesting. Ryan Reynolds and Jeremy Piven were also quite good, while talented actors such as Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman were wasted in useless supporting roles. Worth seeing for the exciting action sequences, but it's still an average affair that has been falsely advertised for the most part.

Yeah I'm rather conflicted as well. From the opening set up and line up of all the various characters, the film was on fire. There's this steady snowball of tension as all these forces gravitate closer and closer that had me on the edge of my seat. The Tremors first encounter with other characters was gold, and there was some great quotes my friends and I were echoing out of the theater. When shit hits the fan it was very effective, albeit more spread out then I had expected. But as said, the film sort of peetered off from there. I didn't really see the point in so many hit men still being alive; one last siege on the hospital in my opinion would've been a much more fun ending. Andy Garcia and his forced accent listing off what had just happened just made the film end on a sour note. Still, the first hour and a half was so effective that I can't give it that low a grade only for the film not having a proper conclusion. B+

Oh, and it's much better then Lucky Number Slevin.

Fast, fun and action-packed. Can't beat that. B+

Don't go in expecting a masterpiece, and you will have fun. Lots of shit gets blown up, the action is fast and furious, and its just a great ride

B-

This was a great movie. Alot of action, good acting. An all around great movie. I have a feeling that this movie will stay on my top 10 all year.

A

They shoulda called this one Smokin' Mirrors...

Sadly, Joe Carnahan doesn't fulfil the promise he made with his earlier Narc. Sure, lots of cool stuff is goin' on, but the whole thing never comes together into, what I affectionately like to call, a "movie". What a freakin' jumble. He tries for a Running Scared/Crank hybrid, but doesn't even end up with a Lucky Number Slevin-grade product.

Lots of great acting goes for naught. Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta blow years of street cred in vain. Awesome cool writing that includes such gems as naming the bad guy® "Israel", ends up on the trash heap of wasted words.

Yup, this round's a dud.

2 out of 5.

Except for the unfortunate spelling mistake, that's the best review I've read in at least a year...

Bravo!

I thought it was disappointing. It had a lot of build up and promise, but just didn't deliver. I liked the various hitmen and introduction, but in the end they all seemed extremely wasted. I expected good battles between the hitmen, but most of them were introduced with a ton of flare and then just wasted.

It was the story of the movie... a ton of build up and nothing delivered. For example, the one guy that survived the shooting (Ben Affleck's gang). We see him go through a painful recovery, and I was thinking he was going to make it back and be an integral part of the plot. Instead he went through all that trouble just to have an anti-climatic scene in the parking lot with one of the guys that shot him.

And, don't get me started on the plot...

Anyhow, I thought the movie had a lot of potential, and under different hands might have been something great. However, as it was it was pretty much a mess. With that said, it did have its entertaining moments, and for that I'll give it a C, but I think that's pretty generous.

It's Tony Scott's take on Tarantino's True Romace, meets Tarantino's Jackie Brown. It's not quite as good as both films (Especially the latter) but it's still enjoyable. The last scene of the film with Reynolds was absolutely perfect, despite the somewhat obvious twist that preceeded it.

B

LoL, I should've used spell check Coming from you, that comment means a lot

Great action. Good plot. EXCELLENT ending.

A- 9.3/10