Disc Review: 2 GUNS (Blu-Ray/DVD)

Starring Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, James Marsden, Edward James Olmos, Fred Ward. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur. (2013, 109 min).
Universal Studios Home Entertainment

While watching this, the first movie that came-to-mind was Tango & Cash, that awesomely bad cinema suppository which was literally raised from total awfulness by the chemistry between its lead actors, Sylvester Stallone & Kurt Russell. Neither guy was required to stretch much, but they were a lot of fun together, to the point where the story their characters were thrown into didn’t really matter.

Similarly, the actual plot of 2 Guns is perfunctory and somewhat similar to Tango & Cash: Two hard-ass agents, one working for the DEA, the other for Naval Intelligence (each initially thinking the other is a criminal), are both screwed-over while working undercover. After the two participate in the robbery of a Mexican bank, which happens to hold ill-gotten gains by the CIA (headed by a cold-blooded agent played by Bill Paxton), they are forced to work together in order to, not only clear their names, but administer some destructive justice on those who set them up.

"I made poo-poo."

So yeah, this is yet-another reluctant-buddy film that counts on the charisma of its two leads to carry it along. Since those leads are Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, 2 Guns ends up being a hell of a lot of fun. Like Tango & Cash, neither actor is required to do much more than exude the inherent coolness we already associate with them. Washington has repeatedly, and effortlessly, elevated even his worst films to a level of respectability lesser actors are capable of doing. Mark Wahlberg has a screen presence similar to Harrison Ford…he’ll never knock you out with his thespian skills, but he’s simply likeable (even when he’s blowing off the heads of chickens).

The overall success of 2 Guns rests solely on their shoulders, and fortunately, they deliver. This movie is as predicable as the tide, but the banter and interaction between Washington & Wahlberg make it worth checking out. It’s simply a lot of fun watching these two together, even after we're fast-forgetting the actual plot of the film. However, it’s a shame that Bill Paxton and Edward James Olmos (the film’s villains) are criminally under-used (much like Jack Palance in Tango & Cash).

All-in-all, 2 Guns is a fun-yet-forgettable film, due mostly to its two lead actors, neither of whom are likely waiting with baited breath for Oscar nods for this one.

SPECIAL FEATURES (unable to access for review): 
Featurettes: The Good, the Bad and the Sexy, Finding the Vibe, Living Dangerously; deleted/extended scenes; commentary by director Baltasar Kormakur & producer Adam Siegel.

FKMG RATING:

(Out of 5)