Smokin' Aces (2007)

Classic fast-paced movie

love this movie... good storyline, good acting and continuous action that keeps you on the edge of seat. Poetic justice ending also makes this part of any classic thriller collection. October 5, 2008

Lots of fun, but...

This movie has a lot of good points. The story, while silly at times, is overall pretty good. Personally, I always love stories with several different parties/factions all converging on the same goal or what-have-you, and that's the basic idea of how "Smokin' Aces" goes down. Many critics have noted (unfavorably) that the movie often shifts between comic and serious tones quite suddenly, but I didn't much mind that. The characters are diverse and interesting, and the actors portraying them do very well. Vets like Ray Liotta and Andy Garcia are solid, of course, and there are surprising performances from Ryan Reynolds and Alicia Keys, plus a hilarious bit part played by Jason Bateman. The score is also atmospheric and memorable.

But the ending is really pretty weak. Forgivable, but just sort of... meh. It's kind of a big twist, but it twists in a disappointing manner, ultimately feeling a bit tacked-on, despite the fact that it's built up through the entire film. Weird. My big gripe, though, is specifically about this DVD. The extras and commentaries are solid, but the actual movie is in fake widescreen -- cropped. Considering how heavily the film was advertised when it was released, I assumed the DVD would be of higher quality. The menus are also kind of obnoxious, but whatever. And the actual, physical disc looks very shabby -- no graphics, just the title and such in an ordinary font. A minor issue, yes, but it adds a lot to the overall impression that there wasn't much effort put into the DVD. July 11, 2008

Totally Absurd

I found the premise of this movie extremely unbelievable. The whole idea of the FBI doing this, or handling the case of Buddy Aces in such a manner was totally absurd. Further, that the mob would put a hit out in such a fashion as this is counter-intuitive. Nowadays though you have to be willing to sacrifice reality in order to enjoy yourself at the movies, but Smokin' Aces crosses the line in my view. The plot is videogamesesque. The acting was not a problem with the exception of Ryan Reynolds who was just awful as the (semi) main character. His Agent Messner was a serious drama queen and difficult to watch. As for Ray Liotta, why can't he find stronger films? He's capable of much better rolls than this one. July 8, 2008

I Just Didn't Get It

This film was hyped up so much by the media that we expected it to be one of the best action films of the year. I was sorely disappointed. The cast is stellar, the action is cool, the acting was left to be desired and the storyline was abysmal. It was all over the place to say the least and I think it wanted to be one of those movies that tells the stories of different people who all come together in one event. If that was the plan then it did nothing but fail.

I can't really tell you much about the story as, again, it was all over the place. From what I could make out Buddy "Aces" Isreal who's a Vegas illusionist is snitching on the mob to the FBI. The mob want him dead but the FBI need him alive. From the basics there comes a lot of shooting and swearing and some other groups get involved for whatever reason.

I would advise staying away if you're expecting to see a great action movie, because that's simply not going to happen. What you will be dealt with instead is a platitude of disappointment.

July 6, 2008

Crammed full of everything.

This movie has it all:
Packed full of famous faces... all of whom give great performances.
Great dialogue and stories for each character.
A couple of unseen twists in the story, and an ending that makes this better than an action film.

Even knowing what is going on, the second viewing was even better. Special features are good, especially the character bios. I will watch this several more times.

This movie dives into the criminal world, somewhat like a Tarantino movie, but with more pace. June 15, 2008

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