2 Guns brings together two immensely talented actors in Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. Denzel has long been the gold standard for male roles in the industry and Wahlberg is fast establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with as well.
Here Stig (Wahlberg) works for Navy intelligence while Bobby (Washington) is undercover DEA. The are both on a mission and using each other to that end, but each of them doesn't know the others' true identity.
The two have been put in this position by their seemingly clueless superiors who don't know which end is up. Bobby checking in with fellow DEA agent Deb (Paula Patton) and Stig reporting to Quince (James Marsden). While Bobby wants to take down cartel leader Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos) and wills top at nothing to accomplish this feat, Stig is simply interested in getting some dirty cartel money for use by Navy intelligence (and ultimately simply following orders).
Now when each of them has a hiccup in their plans they steal over $40 million instead of $3 million and instead of capturing the head of a Mexican Cartel, they find themselves running for their lives. But whose money did they steal? And who is the mysterious man chasing them down (played by Bill Paxton)?
Let's face it, putting these two big Hollywood guns together, Washington and Wahlberg, is almost like cheating. But it is refreshing to see these two do a good old fashioned action "caper" film with some twists instead of just setting the table for Oscar. And this is what makes them truly special actors. Their ability to raise the level of everyone around them in anything the do shines through here. When the two work with each other onscreen, 2 Guns really works. The supporting cast is able to pick up the remaining screen time in stellar fashion as well.
The quirky characters that are written into this story add depth and fun to a story that has many cookie cutter elements. Acting rules the roost in 2 Guns, proving that good actors DO raise the level of every film.
Sure there are cheesy, over the top moments in the film - but that just adds to the ambiance of a cool and hip movie that cuts through the clutter of the typical summer blockbuster.
2 Guns proves that 2 guns ARE better than one, and Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg are firing at will.
B
2 Guns
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Cast: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, Fred Ward, James Marsden, Edward James Olmos
Rating: R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity.
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
