2 Guns – Dir.
Baltasar Kormákur (2013)
2013 was another huge year for comic book movies with Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel doing blockbuster numbers and Thor: The Dark World closing out the year. Meanwhile, films based
on non-superhero properties like R.I.P.D.
and Red 2 didn't get quite as much
attention. This brings us to 2 Guns,
based on a little known mini-series published by BOOM! Studios. Most folks
would probably be surprised to hear that it was adapted from a comic though it
does feature the titanic team-up of Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg.
Bobby Trench (Washington) and Michael Stigman (Wahlberg) are
a pair of crooks who decide to steal $3 million from safety deposit boxes
belonging to drug lord Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). These boxes are tucked
away inside a bank vault in the tiny town of Tres Cruces. If that sounds
familiar, then you’ve seen the 70's neo-noir classic Charley Varrick, which screenwriter Blake Masters borrows heavily
from. In a series of twists and turns, Trench is revealed to be an undercover
DEA agent while Stigman is actually working for Naval Intelligence. Neither man
was aware of the other's true identity. Even worse, the bank didn't hold $3
million, but over $43 million belonging to an illegal CIA slush fund. Stigman
narrowly escapes an attempt on his life by his corrupt commanding officer
Quince (James Marsden), who wants the cash for himself. He'll have to get in
line because Papi wants it too and so does the sadistic CIA agent Earl (Bill
Paxton).
2 Guns feels like
it could have come straight out of the hyperkinetic wheelhouse of the late-Tony
Scott. This is a fast-paced, brainless affair that builds to a cluttered climax
as four different factions (five, if you count a herd of stampeding bulls) shoot
it out for a trunk load of dollars. However, Icelandic director Baltasar
Kormákur, who previously worked with Wahlberg on Contraband, doesn't have Scott's visual panache. Still, the action sequences are decent
enough, save for a rough looking car chase.
What really sells 2
Guns is the chemistry between its leads. The interplay shared by Wahlberg
and Washington harkens back to the buddy cop formula set by Lethal Weapon. Both protagonists give as
good as they get as their one-liners fly faster and more frequently than their bullets.
The burden of carrying the movie doesn't fall squarely on their shoulders
thanks to a game supporting cast. Perennial nice guy James Marsden is cast
against type as a back-stabbing naval officer while Edward James Olmos is
perfectly grizzled as a cartel boss. Yet, they all pale in comparison to the
scene chewing performance of Bill Paxton, who affects a thick Southern accent
to portray the main antagonist. 2 Guns
is so overstuffed with testosterone that there's no room for a strong female
character. That's a shame because Paula Patton played a pretty kick-ass secret
agent in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Instead, she's a damsel in distress who spends most of her time either tied up
to a chair or gratuitously slinking around with nothing on except wafer-thin
panties. Yeah, okay, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
2 Guns is such a
breezy trifle that you almost forget just how surprisingly cynical it is. Just
about every branch of the American government is portrayed as corrupt, incompetent,
or simply uncaring. Stigman cracks a joke about purchasing his high-powered
sniper rifle at K-Mart (are they still around?) and the US/Mexico border is
patrolled by good ol' boys looking to dispense redneck justice to anybody with
dark skin.
2 Guns may be
formulaic and predictable, but the winning charm of Washington and Wahlberg
make it a passable bit of popcorn entertainment.
Rating: ** (*****)
