If you only saw the trailer, you may recognise '2 Guns' as an attempt
at a buddy-cop style movie, light in tone, featuring an
always-questionable Mark Wahlberg, likely to be carried by Denzel
Washington, and from a director whose only known previous work is last
year's 'Contraband', which bombed rather badly. Your conclusion might
be that you will have seen this film before, and you'll have seen it
done better, so despite your admiration for Washington, you'll opt out
of this one. That was certainly my first impression. I am happy I did
not go with my gut reaction, for whilst it is true that the director's
last release was a failure, Wahlberg can be a letdown, and there is
nothing here to really surprise us, it is NOT true that I have seen it
done better....at least, not for a long time!
'2 Guns' is a by-the-numbers, nuts and bolts story of a DEA agent and a
naval intelligence officer, who are both trying to infiltrate a drug
cartel for their own reasons. Upon stealing drug money, they find
themselves caught up in a conspiracy rooted in nastier, murkier
territory than either of them expected, playing cat-and-mouse with some
very dangerous people, bringing into play a wonderfully villainous Bill
Paxton, looking like he's having more fun than he's had in a long time.
They try to simultaneously bring justice and stay alive! The whole
thing feels very familiar, as it should; if you have seen 'Tango and
Cash' or 'Lethal Weapon', you already know the dynamic between the two
leads and the general direction the story is headed, although there is
a distinct difference in that, unlike Danny Glover's Murtaguh, neither
man is particularly straight-laced. Part of what brings this film to
life, though, is the fact that you cannot help but think of early
Tarantino as you watch it. 'True Romance' serves as a particularly
obvious touchstone for '2 Guns' in terms of dialogue, character and
pace; there are in fact at least two scenes that seem to consciously
mirror famous sequences in Tony Scott's movie. Perhaps most surprising
to me is how well Washington and Wahlberg work as a screen partnership;
with plenty of chemistry and Wahlberg responsible for a fair share of
the success, it would be unfair to say he needs carrying.
Slick, stylishly shot, well-paced, with some vintage "Tarantino"
moments and really snappily written, this feels like a trip back to the
90s in the best way! Okay, no big surprises, but director Kormakur
knows exactly what type of film he is making here, and he hits a home
run with it!
Not likely to stay in my top 10 of 2013, but good enough to make it on
to the list in the first place, which in itself is a surprise!
4/5
See it if you like: Lethal Weapon, Tango and Cash, True Romance
