Triggermen (2002)

A Comedy of Errors with a Hitman Twist!

(Warning: possible spoilers!)
Two bumbling Limey cons, Pete and Andy (Neil Morrissey and Adrian Dunbar are perfectly cast in these roles) are mistaken for professional hitmen, Terry and Tommy (Donny Wahlberg and Michael Rapaport), and the fun begins. Pete and Andy just want enough money to get home to the UK, until one of them steals a suitcase left in a hotel lobby. Inside the suitcase, the cons discover a large amount of cash and a contract to kill Ben Cutler (Pete Postlethwaite), a Chicago crime lord. And there's the enticement of more money when the 'job' is done.

Meanwhile Terry and Tommy are waiting for their assignment and Terry becomes distracted by the lovely Emma (Claire Forlani). Terry wants out of the business; he wants a "normal" life with a wife and family. While he is busy chasing Claire, poor Pete and Andy are swept up into the high life. The client, Franco D'Amico (played convincingly by Louis Di Bianco), believes the Limeys are true professionals and waits patiently for the hit to be carried out.

To steal from the movie, it's like "Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys join the mob". There is a particular scene at the end that may remind some of a Three Stooges-like scenario. Just when Pete and Andy think they're doomed, in stumbles Andy's pregnant girlfriend Penny (Amanda Plummer), who suddenly has a purpose in the movie.

There is a huge role reversal in the end, and of course a happy ending for Terry and Emma, who it turns out is the daughter of crime boss Ben Cutler who is also looking at "retiring". As Tommy and Pete ride off into the sunset on two motorcycles, I'm thinking Triggermen 2 could be just around the corner.

This movie was surprisingly good, with enough dead bodies and a "Pulp Fiction" kind of humor to please almost anyone. Very enjoyable!!

--Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song: A Novel August 16, 2006

Somewhat of a Waste of Talent

Triggermen is an attempt at a comedy drama or "dramady." The film begins thusly: stuck in Chicago practically penniless, small-time British crooks Pete (Neil Morrissey) and Andy (Adrian Dunbar) can't believe their luck when a stolen briefcase nets them a bundle of cash and the key to a luxurious hotel room.

However, there is a catch: local mafia boss Franco D'Amico (Louis DiBianco) has mistaken them for assassins and expects them to knock off his chief rival Ben Cutler (Pete Postlethwaite). Meanwhile, the real contract killers or "triggermen", super sharp Terry (Donnie Wahlberg) and moronic Tommy (Michael Rapaport), are left wondering why the man who hired them hasn't got in touch.

Yes folks, Triggermen is also yet another entry in the beaten half to death cliche plot of "small time hoods after a quick buck get in way over their heads with big time gangsters." Triggermen certainly adds another notch if anybody's counting. We have all been down this road too many times for black comedies like this to provoke more than an apathetic shrug. Especially when there is neither comedy or darkness to the movie.

Returning to the movie, matters get unnecessarily complicated when Terry starts to lust after Emma (Claire Forlani), the daughter of the man he's supposed to kill, and by the sudden arrival of Pete's obviously pregnant wife Penny (Amanda Plummer). Meanwhile, the small time hoods debate whether they should kill Cutler as their inadvertant employer expects them to or just simply cut and run. Instead of adding any humor or suspense to the story, these developments only add to the boredom of it all.

This film had a particularly good cast (especially Dunbar, Forlani, Morissey & Wahlberg) and then proceeded to waste the acting talent at its disposal. Triggermen could have been a pretty funny movie. It had all of the classic elements including incompetent villains, mistaken identity, money, pretty girl, etc., but was slow, boring and most importantly, not funny.

Perhaps the biggest waste of talent is that of Neil Morrissey, star of numerous British TV series who had a shot at international exposure in this movie. Its a shame that the acting talent that he exhibited in this flick was completely wasted on such a pathetic film. Another wasted talent is that of Claire Florani who has shown herself to be both beautiful and a quite talented actress in other productions. However, in Triggermen, her role required little more than sitting around looking pretty and trying to be polite to the thug who's trying to romance her.

The best part of Triggermen was the washed-out cinematography that gave it a fairly unique look. Another decent aspect of this flick was the fact that the end credits scroll backwards down the screen. That was a nice touch. Its a shame that the amount of thought that was applied to the photography and credits was not utilized on behalf of the script.

The end result is a flick that you are well advised to rent first before making any decision on whether or not to purchase it. June 29, 2006

MISSES THE TARGET SOMEWHAT

TRIGGERMEN is an odd mix of comedy and crime drama, well acted but sometimes sluggish and derivative. Adrian Dunbar and Neil Morrissey play two limey petty thieves who steal money meant for two hitmen, and then are forced to assume the hitmen's identities and pull off the hit against a rival crime boss. The movie IS entertaining, it's just not overly original. Along with the fine performances from Dunbar and Morrissey, we get Donnie Wahlberg and Michael Rapaport as the real hitmen; gorgeous Claire Forlani as the daughter of the intended target, well played by Pete Postelthwaite, and Amanda Plummer as the somewhat witchy girlfriend of Dunbar. Overall, a pleasant diversion. July 7, 2005

starts slow but ends well

This is an odd comedy and if you can get through the slow (see boring) scenes, it's worth watching.
The plot is rather simple, but you'll see twists and turns that keep you somewhat amused. There are a few romantic moments between two of the leading characters.
Overall, it's a decent movie for a rainy day. You'll laugh more than a few times. December 21, 2004

Triggermen is a waste of talent

This film was a waste of talent.Aside that it wraped up neatly like the dead body in the rug at the end,this film was a regurgitation of others&lacked originality.It was slow&borring,and I could'nt wait until the end.I was figiting like a little kid...practically begging for the credits to roll.See it for yourself,but this movie is'nt worth purchasing. November 20, 2004

More reviews at Amazon.com ...