Film Review – 2 Guns (2013)

Title – 2 Guns (2013)

Director – Baltasar Kormakur (Contraband)

Cast – Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Bill Paxton, Paula Patton, Edward James Olmos, James Marsden

Plot – DEA Agent Bobby (Washington) and naval intelligence officer Stig (Wahlberg) are caught up in a conspiracy well above their pay grade when they rob a small town bank they think holds drug kingpin Papi Greco’s (Olmos) money.

“I’m very sorry about my friend. He was kicked in the head as a child”

Review by Eddie on 4/06/2014

No matter how good a script or how interesting a story, a movies worth normally settles upon the chemistry of the films two leads or the charisma of a solo participant if a movie so desires. Icelandic born director Kormakur action/comedy based upon Steven Grant’s graphic novel’s is a pretty generic and overcomplicated story that becomes something more thanks to the charms and chemistry between his two leads Denzel Washington as stoic DEA agent Bobby and Mark Wahlberg as loud mouth Ex-Navy member Stig.

Generating a banter and interplay not unlike Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the once great Lethal Weapon series Washington and Wahlberg produce a buddy partnership that seems effortless and plays out in a natural unforced manner. Clearly having a blast acting alongside each other the two leads plough through material and dialogue that should not be near as funny as it is but with Washington doing his usual thing and Wahlberg again on a Pain and Gain type mode everything seems fresher and tolerable than it at times ought to. Other actors in the piece have fun with their roles with Bill Paxton on pretty decent Justified-lite form with his turn as bad boy Earl eerily reminiscent of an aging Raylan Givens. It’s a lifesaver that these actors produced such fun turns for without them the film could have become another 2013 action flick that faltered badly ala White House Down or A Good Day to Die Hard.

Kormakur showed a decent flare in the action genre with his Wahlberg starring Contraband showing enough to suggest he had a bright future in the genre. This flare Kormakur showed with that previous film is sadly lacking here in 2 Guns with the action scenes never thrilling or never in any way original. It’s a shame these scenes falter as they do for the story which should be a ripping yarn is only made into half of what it could have been thanks to some clunky exposition and far too many balls being juggled at one time.

2 Guns is a fun, fast and as per expected forgettable movie that goes beyond its means thanks to the work of two professional actors who clearly share a chemistry that can be utilised in future projects including perhaps a sequel to this venture which could look to include action and a story that is as good as it’s leading men.

3 sticks of chewing gum out of 5