If ever there was a film to shock us out of the January blahs, (see Ann’s ode to the 'January Blahs' here ) its ‘Smokin’ Aces.’
With as much nerve as Crank and a bigger budget, Carnahan’s blood soaked morality tale is tight. Keeps the adrenaline pumping as the body count climbs.
Buddy ‘Aces’ Israel (Jeremy Piven), a Las Vegas magician and mob puppet, knows a lot, enough to know he is in danger. The feds want him for themselves; he’ll rat out the mobsters to avoid prison. Convictions stemming from his testimony will have a domino effect that will ultimately destroy the mob in America. That’s the plan, according to the good guys (Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds to name a couple).
Israel’s mob mentor has put a $1-million plus heart bounty out, to ensure silence. The heart is proof he is dead and gone and no more trouble. The feds have plants inside, relaying information regarding Israel’s fate.
So Israel and his bodyguards head to a penthouse suite in Lake Tahoe to enjoy one final bacchanalia before he becomes federal property, protected by an army of security and federal agents.
Naturally, when word gets out that there is a cool million to be made for a simple hit, the country’s leading assassins show up. And what a pack of wolves they are. Armed to the teeth, evil written all over them (literally in some cases) and bloodthirsty, the race is on to get Buddy.
Jason Bateman was born to play Rip Reed, a lawyer who is certainly ripped and will not shut up. He looks good in a bra and panties and refuses to let our attention flag.
The first casualties are apparently witless bail bondsmen (Peter Berg and Ben Affleck) struck down by the hilariously over the top Tremor Boys. Straight out of Road Warrior, these are clearly worshippers of early Sigue Sigue Sputnik.
A lesbian assassin team big momma, sexy girl and radical (Davenia McFadden, Alicia Keys and Taraji P. Henson) are the best prepared of the bunch – carrying missile launchers and a solid plan, they’ve got Israel covered, from his floor to a hotel window across town.
Meanwhile a Russian operative manages to replace Israel’s butler inside the suite and a big, threatening towheaded Swede is on his way. There’s a psycho lunatic boy of about nine chop-sockying his way into the mix with a guy the Tremors should have checked twice.
Eternal TV mobsters David Proval and Alex Rocco, Matthew Fox, Andy Garcia and Common confirm the beauty of this cast list . Even Wayne Newton shows up.
One delicious surprise after another, except towards the end the taste of blood is a little too strong – it dominates the many other notes. Violence is overplayed and hurts the film by providing an easy out. The film deserves a better demise. More time, a little more thought and this could have been a killer. Okay, it wouldn’t have been Shakespeare, but who cares?
And Piven shows what he can do, like break our hearts as the guy in the middle.
Smokin’ Aces
Opens wide USA Jan 26. MPAA: Rated: R
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