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'Smokin' Aces' just okay...By Zack Bolien
- Movie Review -
“Smokin' Aces” is a movie that desperately wants to be cool. It wants to impress with its over-the-top violence, witty dialogue and gripping story. The story centers on Buddy Israel, a Vegas performer who knows some very dangerous secrets about the Mafia. Despite protection by the FBI and police, word gets out of his location, and a $1 million price is put on his life. An assortment of bounty hunters emerges to claim the prize, ranging from a fairly normal bondsman to a freakish trio of white-power madmen. If there is one thing this movie does right, it is to create a memorable cast. The characters are interesting enough that the viewer wants to see what happens to them, even if it means sitting through droves of self-righteous dialogue. On one hand, “Smokin' Aces” wants desperately to mimic the camp violence and sharp dialogue seen in Quentin Tarentino's movies such as “Pulp Fiction.” On the other hand, it wants to be a big budget action picture with plenty of explosions and gunfire. Throw in an overly complex story and a fairly obvious plot twist that most people could see coming, and it is a movie that tries to be too much at once. Even the presence of big names like Ben Affleck and Alicia Keys cannot save it from itself. Halfway through the movie viewers will still be waiting for it to start, and after the 15 minutes of action, they will be wondering why it hasn't ended yet. “Smokin' Aces” gets credit for trying, as well as for a few memorable scenes that might be brought up in water cooler conversation a week after seeing it. However, a great movie needs more than just a few interesting points to carry it. This one lacks the thread to hold them together. |
Unfortunately, just like that kid in high school who caught onto the fads a year too late, “Smokin' Aces” simply tries too hard.