Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg come together for the first time in "2 Guns," a fast-paced action thriller that slowly loses its footing as its plot twists become more and more incomprehensible.
Washington plays Bobby, an undercover DEA agent trying to take down drug lord Papi Greco (James Edward Olmos). He is teamed up with Stig (Wahlberg), an AWOL marine who keeps his identity secret from Bobby. The two plan a bank robbery to steal $3 million from Papi, but wind up stealing $43 million from the CIA. The majority of the plot follows Bobby and Stig trying to find a way to save themselves from a disastrous fate.
The film gets off to a surprisingly languid start despite explosions and some silly exchanges between Washington and Wahlberg in a diner across the bank. The film awkwardly cuts back in slow motion to weeks earlier to set up the world of the Mexican drug lord, which unsurprisingly demonstrates that Hollywood writers Blake Masters and Steven Grant have made little effort to portray the cartel as anything other than a stereotype. Machismo abounds and the Mexican thugs do little else but eschew the usual derogatory language. The story eventually returns to the opening sequence (again in jarring slow motion) and the plot gets going with unrelenting pace. The bank robbery sequence is ingenious in its execution; it is impossible to ignore the nod that director Baltasar Kormakurc gives Christopher Nolan's iconic "The Dark Knight" in this particular set piece.
The film then shifts into a frenetic gear with one action piece following another. Washington and Wahlberg betray one another and one is left for dead. A cat and mouse game begins with a new third party of investigators (later revealed as the CIA) arriving on the scene moments later. Bobby and Stig chase after one another until in a silly car chase eventually brings them together. Bobby is chasing after Stig because he has Papi Greco in his trunk. The two race into the desert until, for no logical reason, Stig stops. Bobby continues driving and decides to turn around so the two can race at each other. You can definitely see the writers and director thinking that it would be "awesome" to have the two characters run into each other; otherwise this particular moment makes absolutely no sense in the dramatic context.
The film is filled with a number of twists and turns that overwhelm the viewer to the point that they stop making any sense whatsoever. Double and triple crossings take place without any real motive. The climax, which brings all the parties together in one final showdown, is laughable in its larger-than-life and illogical nature. Spoiler Alert! Would the CIA raid a drug cartel with three men? Would the Navy only bring two people to steal back the money from a drug lord and the CIA? If $43 million is at stake, wouldn't they be able to hire more people on the promise of the money to help retrieve the cash?
Even more frustrating are the loose ends that never get patched up as the film comes to an end. For example, one character gets blamed for killing a prominent DEA officer. His name never gets cleared. How can he go on living normally under those circumstances at the end of the film?
Washington's Bobby is the only character with any real depth. He seems detached from others for some unknown reason and seems unable to protect those he truly cares about. Wahlberg's Stig is a hopeless idealist whose dreams come crashing down rather quickly. Wahlberg is entertaining throughout, but Stig comes off as plain stupid at key moments. Fortunately, the two leads have a solid rapport with one another and their exchanges are quite humorous.
James Marsden continues his streak of playing cardboard characters. Quince is a naval officer who sends Stig on a mission to steal the money but then turns into a one-note villain who has no personality or clear motives.
Bill Paxton is humorous as CIA agent Earl and manages to chew the scenery during all of his scenes.
Paula Patton, who plays Deb, is in the film to provide sex appeal. There is a tight close-up of her bare chest and she is showcased in her underwear during a few scenes. Other than serving as a sexual object, she does little else in the film to convince the viewer that Deb is really a character.
On that note, any portrayal of women in this film is for pure sexual objectification. Sex scenes featuring Washington and Patton showcase her full bare body but hide most of his under sheets. Brief scenes with Greco's mistress elicit sexual comments from Stig. As mentioned earlier, Hispanic stereotypes abound in this film even further with a final scene tastelessly poking fun at Mexican poverty.
"2 Guns" serves its purpose. It is a trademark Hollywood testosterone-driven film that often throws logic by the wayside in favor of explosions, violence, and some touches of humor. Those looking for a mindless two hours will surely be satisfied as scenes between Washington and Wahlberg make the price of admission feel acceptable; the bank robbery is also ingeniously executed. Those looking for a top-end thriller will be disappointed by the sloppy scripting of the film's second half.
"2 Guns" hits theaters on Aug. 2, 2013.
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