2 Guns, 2013.
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
Starring Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, James Marsden, Bill Paxton, and Edward James Olmos.
SYNOPSIS:
2 Guns is a fast-paced action-comedy that teams up Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg as undercover agents who are double-crossing each other. When they realise they’ve been set up they have to put their trust issues aside to find out who betrayed them, and why.
2 Guns is an explosive, charged affair that moves along at a frantic pace. The relationship between the two leads provides a nice twist on the buddy-cop formula and it’s the main strength of the film. At no point during proceedings does the relationship between Bobby (Washington) and Stigman (Wahlberg) seem forced. Their natural charisma is supported by sharp dialogue and quick-fire jokes are reeled off with precise timing. Both actors appear to be having fun with the roles and it’s one of the most quotable movies I’ve seen for a while.
The story speeds along without much time to breathe. There are a lot of players in the story so we’re taken to a variety of locations and there were a couple of times when I found it hard to keep track of exactly where we were. At one point I thought the story was trying too hard to be complex and the various threads threatened to become a tangled mess, but they all came together quite nicely in the end and provided a satisfying conclusion. There are a few twists, and while they’re mostly predictable the film moves so swiftly that it doesn’t give you much of a chance to think about what’s coming next, and there’s always another engrossing Washington-Wahlberg repartee to distract you. The supporting cast also give good performances, particularly Bill Paxton who performs a couple of inventive torture methods that made me wince.
While the film is entertaining there’s not much in the way of deep characterisation and none of them really have any substance to speak of. I get the feeling that the director wanted to explore his characters more but quiet character moments were sacrificed in order to keep the story moving. We’re never really given an insight into any character beyond their base motivation and as a result some emotional moments don’t quite have the impact I think the director was hoping for. Out of the two leads we spent more time with Denzel Washington, and I think with two lesser actors the film would have suffered.
Apart from those problems I can’t fault Kormákur’s direction. The action sequences were impressive and there was a lot of subtle visual humour to accompany the verbal sparring. I particularly liked the scenes in Mexico, where I could almost feel the prickly heat rising through the screen. Although the film isn’t too deep it’s not brainless and there’s an overt anti-authority message running through that gives the movie an extra edge.
Overall it’s a good movie with a convoluted plot that is anchored by the talent of its two leads. The interplay between Washington and Wahlberg is superb, elevating the film beyond the shallowness of its thinly-developed characters. The whole thing is a blitz and while it may not get you involved emotionally it will most certainly entertain.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert D. Spake – Find me on Facebook and Amazon.
Originally published August 16, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
