2 kaliber

Kormakur should go back to his mum in Iceland, he’s being wasted in these routine genre flicks. It’s been two days since the screening and I’ve already forgotten what it is about and how it turned out; only that it starred Marky Mark, which is far from the best thing a person can remember about a movie. (2013.11.17)

I finally got to see an action movie that brought me everything that I wanted and expected from a good American action movie. A good duo who like one another in the beginning, then they don’t and then they do once again. Great action, amazing one-liners, a good story and some ironic humor that the movie wouldn’t be half as good without. It’s just a shame (for the Americans, that is) that it was filmed by an Icelander. On the other hand, I must congratulate him for being able to establish himself in Hollywood this well. If he goes on shooting movies like this, I won’t be the one complaining. I felt like I did when I watched Lethal Weapon, which is something I haven’t felt in five years or so. (2014.07.04)

A crying shame that the movie poster spills the beans about finale. A pleasant feet-up movie with a needlessly complicated screenplay, slightly above-average. Nothing more, nothing less. I did find myself nodding off at times. P.S.: And I did forget one thing about this, the most important thing in fact: Paula Patton topless. (2013.11.10)

It's a strictly entertaining film for people who are into crime dramas and similar films and have famous quotes and various references of the main characters stuck in their heads. For them, 2 Guns will be a pleasant parody with several interesting moments and an excellent central duo. For the rest, it will be just a decent heist crime comedy with interesting performances. (2013.11.30)

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg are a great duo, and that's one of the many things that went right in 2 Guns. Among other pluses I include the script, which mixes rewarding humor, suspense and surprise and although it sometimes teeters on the tricky edge of over-complication, it doesn't overwhelm. The other actors are also excellent, especially Bill Paxton and Edward James Olmos, and the whole thing looks and flows beautifully, so what more could you ask for? The part that starts with the kidnapping of a Mexican gangster, continues with a car chase and ends with a fist fight (in and out of cars) was probably my favorite part. (2014.11.19)

So far, I had only seen Kormákur’s excellent Everest, so I was really excited to see how he would handle a full-fledged action movie. 2 Guns is quite a funny film with a star-studded cast, but on the other hand, it offers a weaker story and a somewhat illogical plot development, which definitely doesn’t do it any favors and undermines the movie. Denzel Washington is one of my favorite actors, and I can’t think of a role where he didn’t deliver. He carried this film as well, but Wahlberg also performed decently (I won’t discredit him). As I mentioned, the one-liners were good, and I even laughed a few times. There are plenty of action sequences, but with a budget of $61 million, I would’ve expected a bit more lavish execution, where you could really feel that kind of money. Bill Paxton as the CIA agent was outstanding. I didn’t quite understand why the Navy wanted to get rid of Wahlberg when they were actually on the same side. That, and many other unexplained things, led me to give it 70%. P.S. I would’ve given it less, but the likable duo at the forefront kept it at four stars. (2017.07.12)

Some comic book movies might come as a surprise because they don’t have to be about superheroes. That is the case in the film 2 Guns. It's a pretty cool action ride with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. After the rather underwhelming Contraband, the director made a pretty good ride with great lines and interesting characters. At first glance, it’s definitely better than Pain & Gain. I had fun, I laughed, and that's all I wanted. I might start to really like Washington. (2013.11.25)