SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

[MacG]

Jesus, that was awful! Truly just dogsh!t. Talent was wasted up and down the board. Best perf was by my man Jason Bateman...for all of the three minutes he was on screen.

I dunno, was NARC a fluke? Is this and BLOOD, GUTS, AND OCTANE the true Carnahan filmmaking style?

And seriously, anyone who couldn't figure out every single twist and turn by at least the half-way point needs a punch to the back of the head.

An hour and forty-seven minutes I'll never get back. For those who haven't seen it yet, you've been warned!

[TheKeenGuy]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

I didn't hate it, although I didn't love it. I'd place it somewhere between the quality of Snatch and the lack thereof of Boondock Saints.

[MacG]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

I didn't hate it, although I didn't love it. I'd place it somewhere between the quality of Snatch and the lack thereof of Boondock Saints.

Really? You think? Interesting. It (obviously) just drove me batty. I think because in almost every respect it was trying waaaaay too hard to be hip n' cool when -- in reality -- it's a genre film that seems 7-10 years too late to the game.

[MacG]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

I must say, all this bashing aside, a decidely pro facet of the pic was the bangin' Alicia Keys.

[RKBentley]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

I must say, all this bashing aside, a decidely pro facet of the pic was the bangin' Alicia Keys.

Was planning on netflixing it just for @#$#s and grins.

One of the Ms Keys images from the poster.

[MacG]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

That beautiful spread-leg stance probably accounted for half-a-million bucks of their opening gross....

[TheKeenGuy]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

Really? You think? Interesting. It (obviously) just drove me batty. I think because in almost every respect it was trying waaaaay too hard to be hip n' cool when -- in reality -- it's a genre film that seems 7-10 years too late to the game.

I agree that it feels a few years too late, and the last time there was a thread someone pointed out that as opposed to Snatch, you don't ever really end up sympathizing with anybody, which I agree a problem.

I found it fairly exciting, an interesting cast of characters, you know... nothing that I'll really go to bat for, but it was alright. It helps that I went into it hearing how it was awful, and so it wasn't as bad as I feared.

[wcmartell]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

It's like SNATCH... but without the clever dialogue and ironic plot twists!

A complete mess - and Joe thinks that everyone who doesn't think it's brilliant is wrong. No character for us to latch onto - and the thing is set up so the only one we might like is not involved in the conflict.

It's *not* about a young FBI agent protecting an informant from an army of killers - the FBI agent isn't protecting the informant... and isn't even in the same place as the informant until the very end. He's *outside the story* - basic story flaw. So what we have is a cokehead informant as the "lead" - and he's such a prick we want him to die.

All flash and no picture.

- Bill

[roscoegino]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

Glad I didn't see it. There's only one PF, one GS, and one OoS. If they can't add a new dimension to the subgenre without giving up snappy dialogue and clever plot twists, leave it alone.

[Signal30]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

It's like SNATCH... but without the clever dialogue and ironic plot twists!

A complete mess - and Joe thinks that everyone who doesn't think it's brilliant is wrong.

Well, the dude lived in Sacramento for quite a while... that'll screw up anyone's head. Maybe that's what happened to me... and I only idled there for two years.

I'm watching it tonight, so I'm going into it with my bar lowered... although I enjoy films that trash writing rules and conventions, so who knows?

[TheKeenGuy]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

Glad I didn't see it. There's only one PF, one GS, and one OoS. If they can't add a new dimension to the subgenre without giving up snappy dialogue and clever plot twists, leave it alone.

I've figured out PF and OoS. GS I'm still working on.

[haunted]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

Pulp Fiction? Get Shorty?

What's OoS?

[Edit: Oh! Out of Sight. I should've guessed that one; I've actually got the DVD.]

[yvonnjanae]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

I actually liked "Boondock Saints" ...

[haunted]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

Me too.

[Signal30]

Re: SMOKIN' ACES...wtf?

Well... that happened.

Actually, it wasn't all that bad. It's definitely better the BOONDOCK SAINTS (which I sorta enjoyed myself, up until the silly ending)... although the first act is a mess, with characters introduced so fast that by the time things get going, you haven't the slightest idea who is who and what the hell their goal is. Essentially, you have to watch the first fifteen minutes twice before continuing on with the flick.

After that it wanders around aimlessly until it gets everyone together so that they can set about blowing chunks out of each other at around the hour mark, and then the rest of the running time is about tying all the threads together... although it's pretty obvious early on what part of the big twist is.

If nothing else, the over-the-top mayhem is well-handled and I liked the soundtrack (by Clint Mansell, who did the scores for THE FOUNTAIN and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM with Kronos Quartet). Ryan Reynolds turns in a nice dramatic turn, but some of the other actors seem as if they're holding the script behind their backs as they say their lines to the camera.

And yes, Alicia Keys is hot.