Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Andy Garcia, Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Chris Pine, Joel Edgerton, Alicia Keys, Taraji P. Henson, Ben Affleck, Curtis Armstrong, Common
Smokin' Aces plays like a crash at an intersection. The film's action and comedy drive recklessly and speedily toward each other. While the impact is loud, it's also ugly and ungainly, with parts and fragments flying all over the place. In the end, you wonder why they were driving so fast.
Smokin' Aces puts together a stellar cast in the service of a movie which is a routine shoot-'em-up no matter how stylishly it's presented. The setup is this: Vegas magician, casino/hotel penthouse resident, and FBI informant Buddy Israel (Piven) has a contract placed on him by the mob. Groups of eclectic assassins descend upon the casino where Buddy is holed up hoping to be the ones to off Buddy and collect. The assassins also attempt to kill their rivals in the process to eliminate the competition for the money. FBI agents played by Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta are assigned by their bureaucratic boss (Garcia) to protect Buddy. Good luck with that.
There is no shortage of guns, blood, body parts flying around, explosions, and treachery as the contract killers close in on the cocaine-addled Buddy. Even Buddy's bodyguards, including one played by Common, can't be trusted. With the exception of straight-shooters Reynolds and Liotta, everyone in Smokin' Aces has an agenda. You would think with all of the noise going on that Smokin' Aces could pass as mindless, but entertaining. However, Smokin' Aces, even with its quick cuts and the furious pace, still plods towards its Big Reveal conclusion. There are only so many killings we can witness before it just gets ancient.
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