First, I have to mention a couple of flicks that I am *retarded* for after viewing their trailers, just once and for the first time, in front of this movie—GRINDHOUSE, a double bill of 70s inspired horror and drifter flicks by Rodriguez and Tarantino, and HOT FUZZ, Simon Pegg and friends' (SHAUN OF THE DEAD—if you haven't seen it, you are incomplete!) ingenious every-great-thing-about-the-best-action-movies-in-one film.Oh yeah, I'm all over those! =)
I caught SMOKIN ACES last night with Keri and Susan and totally dig it. I have to say, tho, that I wanted *more* from the movie. From the trailer, I got that this was gonna be CANNONBALL RUN, only everyone's out to kill Burt Reynolds, y'know? Just the kind of movie, or movie set-up, that I wish I could've somehow written. A brilliant idea that totally pushes my cops-and-killers heroic bloodshed buttons, y'know? The trailer just psyched me into setting the bar so frickin high for it. The actual film reached that bar in moments, but didn't sustain. I'll try to explain...
The basic premise for the film. Big-time mobster in the Cosa Nostra, Primo Sparazza, is reaching the end of his days, and Vegas entertainer Buddy "Aces" Israel, an upstart outsider who fancies himself a 21st century Sinatra, is making business difficult, operating like a thug and dividing the ranks of the family. Before Sparazza exits, he wants to clean house, old-school, and puts out a $1m contract on Aces, payable on delivery of the man's heart.
Like I said, old-school.
A number of interested parties get wind of this offer, including the FBI, a bail bondsman and his bounty team, and the coldest-blooded killers in the business. Each of them wants that million dollar melon of Buddy's in their crosshairs and has little care for whomever else might get caught in them. They all converge on Aces' not-so-low profile Tahoe penthouse hideout, and...
Well, how to describe this? There's assumed and mistaken identities, hundreds of bullets, a 50 caliber cannon, torches, a rib spreader, a chainsaw, and some vicious intimate spiking. Oh, also, a lot of frickin blood. Now *that* is a Good Time =)
There is this one confrontation in an elevator at one point that my HARD BOILED-lovin R complex can only describe as beautiful...
The personalities of the characters are all pretty tasty, and painted for you in very quick, efficient strokes, which allows us to get the carnage in good time. There are quite a few moments when the supporting cast even steals the show. A freaky little Chuck Norris wannabe will dazzle you with his cracked out moves, and a totally wacked out Michael Bluth does some inspired work as a down-and-out screw-up of a lawyer. A very understated Doctor Jack shares an excellent encounter with a master assassin.
I just wanted MORE is the problem. My problem, really. Cuz I went in expecting/hoping for more. Some of my expectations might've been too much... I mean, I would've liked to have seen a Leon (THE PROFESSIONAL), an Elektra, a GROSSE POINTE BLANK Martin, a COLDBLOODED Cosmo, a GOLDENEYE Onatop, a LETHAL WEAPON 3 Jet Li, and even a GHOST DOG thrown in there, y'know? But it would take a Simon Pegg or a Sam Raimi to really get that all in there and successfully walk the line between action and parody.
If you like action flicks, don't miss this one. If you like good quirky neo-noir (PULP FICTION, SALTON SEA, LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN), and can stand seeing quite a lot of people getting bullets or shivs inserted into their bodies, you'll dig this too.
Keep on keepin on~
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