Smokin' Aces

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Martin Henderson, Matthew Fox, Common, Peter Berg, Alicia Keys, Taraji P. Henson, Nestor Carbonell, Chris Pine, Kevin Durand, Tommy Flanagan, Jason Bateman
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, Crime
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A huge amount of assasins converge on one hotel to kill Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven), a Vegas magician who is going to testify against several mobsters. Several FBI Agents (Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia) are also in the mix, trying to get to Buddy first.

Review:

Tim: This is a mile-a-minute, action-pakced movie. The film has an extensive cast of well-known actors, all playing a series of unique, colorful characters. This huge cast all converges on one man- Buddy "Aces" Israel. People die- a huge percentage of the cast bites the dust. We are entertained by some impressive action scenes, a number of murders, and enjoyable characters.

Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta are both good as FBI Agents, and Andy Garcia is decent as their boss. Jeremy Piven is excellent as Israel, giving a surprisingly good performance. I really enjoyed Martin Henderson, although I wish he had a bigger role. He definitely illicted quite a few laughs. Being a fan of "Lost," I loved seeing Matthew Fox in a small but very funny role. Ben Affleck was better than I expected him to be, and Alicia Keys was decent. The rest of the cast was fairly strong as well.

The plot is pretty in-depth, and it takes some energy to remember who is who, and what their allegiances are. The plot works well until the very end, when it all breaks down. The film's final scene is just a bit too weak and ridiculous. I appreciate the attempt, but it just didn't work.

Smokin' Aces is filled with an eclectic cast, a series of memorable characters, and quite a bit of action. Action fans should be satisfied, although the movie doesn't quite give us enough to differentiate itself and make it truly great. As is, this is just a decent action film, and not much more.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Snatch, Reservoir Dogs, Shoot 'Em Up