2 Guns is that rare popcorn flick that succeeds at being fun and breezy, and features just enough twists to entertain without getting too complicated. Denzel Washington employs his usual effortless charisma, and Marky Mark slips into his usual role of ‘man with muscles who doesn’t emote very well’ with ease. Well, that’s not entirely true – his character here is a smart-ass, a guy who’s constantly cracking wise, which he doesn’t completely sell, but isn’t too distracting. It helps that he has Denzel to bounce off, and the banter between them proves to be good value.
And it’s so great to see Bill Paxton on screen again! He steals every scene he’s in as a ruthless interrogator working for [spoiler redacted]. Paxton makes a really convincing bad guy, and I’d love to see him in more roles like this. Edward James Olmos doesn’t get as much to do, but chews his share of scenery when required.
It makes sense that this is based on a series of comics. The plot feels properly considered rather than slapped together, and plays out as a series of reveals. You can almost feel the end of each issue as another revelation drops and changes all the character dynamics. This structure helps keep things entertaining, and any crime film with this many double crosses gets a tick from me.
2 Guns bubbles along with gunfire, explosions, wisecracks and just enough story to keep your brain semi-engaged. In a (Northern Hemisphere) summer where every blockbuster has felt bogged down with doom and gloom, it’s downright refreshing.
