Knockaround Guys (2001) User Reviews

Better than expected, underrated!

[supertom-3 · 6/10 · 25 February 2003]

With the negative response from critics for this movie I was concerned that this would be rubbish, especially when it was released straight to video in my country (UK). As a Diesel fan I had high expectations for this film but was aware he had a supporting part.

However I was actually pleasantly surprised that the film was actually fairly enjoyable. The story is basic, about a mobsters son (Barry Pepper) who has grown up disparaged by the life of crime his family are involved in, but in his adults days he is unable to get the sort of legit career he wants, as a sports agent, because no-one will hire him for the simple reason that he is related to Dennis Hoppers character. Anyway he resigns himself to the fact that he can't go legit and that working for his dad is the way forward, but since his father only has enough faith in him to pick up his sandwiches, Matty is frustrated and begs his father to give him some more responsibility, he gets support here from his uncle Teddy played by John Malkovich. He gets his responsibility of course but things go awry, by fault of Matt's friend Marbles played by Seth Green. Half a million pounds has now gone missing in a small town, with some fairly clichéd hicks. Matty takes two of his friends over to assist Marbles in getting the money back, and on ensures a tale of deception and murder, with dirty cops, double dealing mobsters, and unwelcoming locals.

It's a fairly simple film that is nicely placed and very well acted. There are comical moments and some moments of character depth, particularly with central character Matty. There are really any surprises in this flick but it is on the most part entertaining. Barry Pepper is very good in the central role as is Vin Diesel as his best friend Taylor, who offers support and advice as well as muscle when it's needed. John Malkovich and Dennis Hopper are good in their small roles although they are cruising really but it is Tom Noonan who steals the show in a delightfully seedy role as the bent small town sheriff Decker.

All in all this is worth a rental, if you're a fan of Diesel like me you'll appreciate his performance in a role that has more depth to it than XXX. 6/10

Nice movie. Worth watching.

[Streetwolf · 7/10 · 31 December 2002]

Almost all of my recent reviews have been very negative, but this movie is worth watching if you are a Vin Diesel fan.

Summary: Matty is the son of Benny, a mobster and he is as bad as they come. As a kid he is put to the test of killing someone, but fails, therefore his father keeps him away from the life of a mobster, but now as a grown up, Matty can't get a job anywhere due to his father's reputation, which gets on his last nerve. So he decides to talk to his father about letting him work for him. Benny puts him on a task, to collect some money in a bag and to come back with it. Doesn't sound so difficult. Matty meets up with his childhood friends, Scarpa, also a son of a gangster, but trying hard to concentrate on his restaurant, his cousin Marbles who has always been the screw up and Taylor, the guy that everyone brings in when they need to scare the heck out of someone. So Marbles has a plane, he gets the money, but in Montana he lands for gas, only there are 2 hillbilly cops there, that intimidate Marbles, as he feels they are on to him and during his panic he puts down the bag of money with other luggage that is being put on another plane. Only he is too late to retrieve the bag so he calls upon his friends to help find the missing bag, which didn't make it to the other plane...so who took the bag?

Seth Green plays the messed up Marbles, who wants responsibility, but doesn't know the meaning of the word. Vin Diesel was great in this movie as a tough guy Taylor, he played his part perfectly. John Malkovich was the ruthless right hand of Benny and he was great! As for the roles of Matty and Scarpa, they were ok. The plot was a little weak, but got better after the first 20 minutes or so.

I rate this movie 7/10.

Can A Mafia Story Be Funny? Yes

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 7 April 2006]

This is another of those films I thought was great the first time, so-so on the second. Overall, it got high marks - at least on the first viewing - because it's an entertaining film that doesn't overstay its welcome at 92 minutes.

Four young guys get involved in their first Mafia-type adventure. One is asked to do a simple job of picking up a bag of money out west and bringing it back home to Brooklyn. However, troubles ensue big-time when the bag is stolen at the little airport out West. His three friends have to come out and help him get the money back and all kinds of problems develop.

There is some black humor in here which helps spice up the film, which then turns very serious about halfway through with a few shocking twists near the end.

There are two famous veteran actors in here - Dennis Hopper and John Malkovich - and four young ones who becoming better known these days as well: Seth Green, Vin Diesel, Barry Pepper and Andrew Davoli.

The only problem I had with the movie is Pepper, who played Roger Maris, the famous baseball player in the film '61." He looks so much like Maris that I can't believe him as anyone else! To us baseball fans, Pepper will always be Maris and nobody else.

Mobsters sons wish for the freedom & glamorous lifestyle their fathers had.

[becktribe · 12 September 2004]

Loved this movie! It's the type of movie you'd want to see more than once; so much of the humor is so subtle that it's easily missed. Deals w/ the next generation of baby mobsters, & how much has changed since "back in the day". Performances by Pepper, Davoli & Green have a surprising depth; their characters are so immediately recognizable that it's almost scary. As a strong Diesel fan, I have no complaints at all about the Taylor Reese character. Diesel's moody acceptance of his position in life & his lack of options, is gloomy, but believable. The strong point of the film is the loyalty & love the characters have for each other. It gives a true nobility to characters who mainly live outside the law.

See it twice. No, three times!

rating: 8 out of 10 (Okay, I really mean 9!)

an enjoyable rip-off

[Coventry · 6/10 · 14 June 2003]

You can feel about two ways when you're watching this movie. Either you make yourself very angry about all the stuff this film steals shameless from other classics in the genre...or you can just sit back and enjoy and don't bother about all the rip-off elements. When I saw it, I was in a 'sit back and enjoy'-mood so my thoughts on this are rather positive. This film is well made and contains all the elements you expect. Like I said, some things are stolen obviously ( the execution GoodFellas-style, the True Romance shoot-out at the end...) but there are at least as much good things to tell about it as well. This film may count on a class A cast. Especially the older generation is great. John Malkovich, even when this guy is acting half as good as he usually does ( like in this movie ) he is still very entertaining. And naturally, Dennis Hopper and Tom Noonan are good as always. There's also a lot of talent in the younger generation: Barry Pepper, Seth Green. And this is even Vin Diesels best film ( besides Saving Private Ryan, but I'm not counting that one) Vin doesn't have too much lines, so that's positive. Overall, this film will be forgotten soon, but it's enjoyable while it lasts

The kind of picture to watch on a rainy weekend day

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 13 October 2002]

Knockaround Guys never goes to achieve much with it's story, and the characters are not terribly important to care about like in past gangster movies (better ones), but it works since it doesn't go for the big-bad rip off and has the feel of a B gangster movie, a decent one. Here, Pepper, Green, Diesel and Davoli play gangster wannabes (although Diesel is more of the muscle-type character than the gangster) who go after lost money in Montana, and are pitted against a crooked Sherrif. Some good fun along the way, mainly from performances from Hopper as Pepper's father and Malkovich as another key character, just don't expect Sopranos-type entertainment if you pay for admission. B

Vin speaks

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 14 October 2002]

Greetings again from the darkness. After seeing a few of the chick flicks that are currently dominating the cinema, I was looking forward to a little testosterone. Relative newcomers Brian Koppelman and David Levien co-wrote and co-directed this little mob film. Barry Pepper ("Saving Private Ryan" and "61") does an admirable job in his first attempt at carrying a movie. He does get some nice assistance from Seth Green ("Austin Powers" movies) and Vin Diesel, Tom Noonan, Dennis Hopper and John Malkovich. Vin Diesel is surprisingly impressive in the second half of the film where he actually gets to act. Tom Noonan ("Manhunter") provides another creepy character for his resume. Dennis Hopper has very little screen time, and thankfully, the directors keep his close-ups to a minimum. John Malkovich provides some veteran acting stability, but at times, seems to dare Pepper to stay in the shot with him. Overall, interesting, though simple, story that supposedly addresses the lack of loyalty among friends - even in the mob world.

Good to great for genre or Vin fans only

[Brian B-2 · 7/10 · 27 September 2003]

A "6" on a global basis, but "8" if you like action movies. This is more a buddy movie than a gangster movie. It is very violent, and has numerous holes and coincidences in the plot.

Vin Diesel steals the movie despite being fourth billing. His is the character with the most integrity, and grit. You have to wonder, given that it was filmed before Vin became famous, but released after, whether they recut the movie to refocus on his role.

Despite the shaky character development, there is a useful theme of delayed coming of age, the value of trust, and the risks of wanting to be someone you aren't.

Great for fans of Vin, good genre movie.

criminally unimaginative

[Jonny_Numb · 2/10 · 1 August 2003]

"Knockaround Guys" is a movie that wouldn't have been hip 10 years ago, when this kind of slush was flooding the art-house and direct-to-video circuit in the wake of Quentin Tarantino's hopelessly overrated "Reservoir Dogs." The fact that it was delayed for 2 years(?) makes it seem particularly dated. And cheap. And awful. Tarantino puppet Lawrence Bender produced this rubbish, but clearly lightning does not strike twice in the era of imitation. A writing-and-directing duo (whose names will not be committed to my brainpan anytime soon) hoping to etch a name for themselves by mining cliches, prove that two heads can be just as vacuous and empty as one. The twentynothing cast of pretty yet vacant faces (including Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel *retch*, and Seth Green) are flanked by veterans like Dennis Hopper and John Malkovich, who seem to have no idea what their actual involvement in this movie really is. Be afraid, be very afraid. "Knockaround Guys" should've been knocked straight to the darkest corner of your local video store.

2/10

Pretty Solid Flick

[whosyourdrummer1 · 7/10 · 28 April 2008]

I really did like this movie it was a good way to end the day, to sit back and watch a movie. Vin Deisel is a very good action actor and so were all the costars in this movie. This movie had a couple changes in plot that I really liked a lot. This movie also made me laugh a good bit which is hard to get me to do at movies so kudos to the script writer. This movie had a lot of action which is something I love to see, as long as the special effects are good. This movie did not use any special effects so I didn't have to worry about that ruining it for me. I would not say this is the best movie i have ever seen but I did like this movie a lot and it is one of those movies I could watch over again 7/10

Low low low budget

[mm-39 · 5/10 · 3 May 2003]

Except for John, and Vin this would have been another low budget movie in the 99 cent rental bin. John does a great role here, and Vin's plan of beating the toughfest guy in town is the only believable part in this film. However, thoes 2 actors could not save this film. Watch on 99 cent Wednesday at your local video store. 5/10

I Was Impressed

[cliodna · 8/10 · 18 April 2003]

It's getting harder and harder to find a good mob movie these days. Everyone loves the Sopranos, I've heard it over and over (though I have not had the good fortune to see it myself, as of yet.) However, Sopranos or no, I think this movie deserves better recognition.

There was real chemistry with this cast. There is no denying John Malkovich on screen (sorry if I spelled that wrong), but the most surprising performance, for me, was in Vin Diesel.

Yes, I've seen XXX and Fast and the Furious. I confess, I even own them. So sue me. I know the scripts he gets and the lines he throws out. But something about Diesel's presence more than his actions in this movie convinced me more than anyone else. He was charismatic, loyal, a believable streetfighter. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat just hoping Taylor (Diesel) would survive!

Not the best movie ever to come out, but not something to be rejected either. If your in the mood for a good movie on "The Life," rent The Knockaround Guys. It's a satisfying ride. My rating: 7 1/2 stars.

Loved It .....

[aces_boss_yo · 7/10 · 9 April 2008]

I loved this film. It has a little bit of everything.It seemed to portray the characters as believable and real. Most of the Gangster style flicks always have a thick romantic plot line,where this film portrayed the guys as just regular Joes.Sure, there were women in the film, but there was no "guy get's the girl" type ending. My favorite scene was the bar/fight scene and the music playing in the background, was, ROMEO'S TUNE by :Steve Forbert.This was pure genius.I watch a lot of movies,and this one has stayed with me. It is definitely worth watching, at the least.I purchased it, myself. The soundtrack is mostly cheesy, but there is some good old stuff on it.I think that is where they cut some of their budget, for the guy referring to it as a low-budg pic. I don't happen to care what the budget of a movie is. IMO, the studios w/the big budgets spiy out more crap than all Indies out there.

One to miss

[=G= · 5/10 · 26 February 2003]

"Knockaround Guys" is yet another movie which tells about a bunch of people chasing after a bag full of money. In this case, they're penny ante mobsters or "Knockaround Guys" who have to go to BF Montana and try to outwit the locals. This flick pulls together okay art and technicals and a solid cast around an silly excuse for a story which is transparent, obvious, hacked, naive and a waste of talent. The film just can't seem to find it's center though it appears to be trying for drama while ending up like a slip-shod comedy which aims for poignancy and misses every time. Regardless, the best which can be said about this flick is it might make an okay watch for the couch potato into crime/drama. (C)

Watch Your Back

[siciliangirl_02 · 25 April 2003]

Patience is the key element in watching a mafia movie. "Knockaround Guys" didn't require any patience for me, and I was hooked at the first scene. This movie gives a formal description of friend and enemy. Who exactly is the real "bad guy" in a mafia movie? In most mafia movies it is quite obvious who the bad guy is, but this one will keep the viewer guessing. Berry Pepper plays the son of a well-known gangster. He, however, does not want to follow in the footsteps of his father. Peppers character's name is Matty Demaret, and he wants to be a sports caster. He has no luck finding a job because people know of his father's past. So, after a bombing interview , Matty decides that working for his father may be the only way for him to make a living, but Matty's father and uncle beg to differ. They believe Matty doesn't have what it takes to be in the mafia. After he convinces his father that he's got what it takes, his father gives him a job. Matty tells his father that he and his friend Johnny Marbles (Seth Green) will go out on their mission to collect money. Marbles flies planes, so he will be able to fly to collect the money. He was given strict orders to come straight back to Matty with the cash, but Marbles gets side tracked. He stops to get gas at a small airport, and leaves the bag unattended. The bag ends up getting into the hands of the sheriff, and he wants to keep the money for himself. Matty then calls his other two friends in to help. Chris Scarpa (Andrew Davoli)who is a sweet talking mob wanna be, and Taylor Reese (Vin Diesel) is the only one is the whole movie who actually looked and acted like a real gangster. The four boys travel to a small town in hopes of finding the money. Matty knows that if he doesn't get that money back, his father will be dead, and he will be a failure. This movie makes the viewer not want to take their eyes off the screen. I was very surprised at who was the real bad guy behind the plot. I think that anyone who watches this movie will be shocked at all the twist and turns. I would recommend this movie to anyone, because it was very easy to follow. I enjoyed this film.

People should give it a chance.

[mario10zeus · 7/10 · 22 July 2008]

The main lesson out of "Knockaround Guys" is this: if you want to be a criminal or a mobster, you better be a mean and evil son of a mother. Be like Joe Pesci's characters, but a little bit wiser. This film features the sons of New York mobsters who which to emulate their criminal fathers and get a piece of action. Problem is that these young men have been raised in a more privileged upper class manner and lack the brutal attitude found in the older. Matty Demaret (Barry Pepper) wants to be taken seriously by his father Benny Chains (Dennis Hopper) and associate (John Malkovich). Matty send his friend Marbles (Seth Green) to pick up $500.000 in Seattle and fly back in his private plane. Trouble starts once Marbles stop to refuel in a small town in Montana and loses a bag with the money. The ensemble cast is good and solid. While it isn't your average gangster flick, "Knockaround Guys" is good, if albeit under rated. Don't miss the scene where Vin Diesel gives a beat-down to a local tough guy in a bar.

The appropriate transformation which (Michael Corleone) didn't have !

[elshikh4 · 7/10 · 21 August 2013]

Yes, it has low budget. Yes, it has mostly no starry names. But (Knockaround Guys) pulled off being a solid and catchy crime movie. I loved how it won many positive points..

The script managed to discuss the corruption in the human, whereas some are born with, and live by, it (the boss). Others have it, yet wait till having the chance to declare it (the sheriff). And few have it, yet choose not to go with it (the lead at last). So, it's in every one of us, however it depends on the desire to exploit it, or what's known as the moral choice.

For more than that, it explored (Barry Pepper)'s character, the relationship between him and (Vin Diesel)'s character, and embodied their characters as organized mind and big muscle, respectively, in front of the other 2 friends who embodied, both, whimsical, if not coward, heart.

The pace is tight, and the scenes are deeply thrilling, without using any flashy style or expensive backgrounds. Some moments were top-notch; like the speech of (Diesel)'s character before hitting some bully; I nominate it as the movie's best effort.

The performance hit the mark, with always low tone. Look for instance at (Tom Noonan) as the evil sheriff. He was nasty and menacing, while not needing any kind of cheap tricks or theatrical acting. (John Malkovich) did right, but also did it for the money. Watch the guy in some TV interviews, and you'll know that he hates doing any role that doesn't have something different (such as this one!). All the cast, including (Seth Green) and else, was good. However, (Vin Diesel) was there. He simply stole the show, not due to his truthful performance only, but mainly duo to being the most charismatic among the cast. True (Barry Pepper) gave a fine performance as little (Matty), but being charismatic was the only test he lost in front of (Diesel).

But what I consider the movie's real problem was in the script. At the end, the lead, (Matty), already passed the way from the child who couldn't shoot a friend for betraying his father, to the man who shot his own uncle for betraying his father. Nevertheless, he eventually chose not to be a part of the gang of that father, or any gang for that matter. This is the movie's moral about having "corruption", and choosing another way than it, a more legit one. The thing to complain about though is that the script presents (Matty) as someone who refuses the way of crime since the very start, which weakened the conflict, and made his final choice kind of obvious. Sure surrendering to the life of the Knockaround Guys, then developing a conscience that pushes to get out of it, would have made stronger conflict and more unpredictable ending.

It's sad that (Knockaround Guys) was kept on the shelf for 3 years after finishing it, maybe for not having big budget, big names, or big nudity! But I loved it. It has some reasons to be memorable. The last one of them is representing the appropriate transformation which (Michael Corleone) didn't have in (The Godfather - 1972), since I've always believed that his transformation to crime wasn't that convincing. Here, the lead of (Knockaround Guys) has a more convincing journey which logically pushed him to pull the trigger at its end, despite that he, unlike (Corleone), didn't choose walking the way of crime to the end.

second-tier gangster

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 21 September 2022]

Matty Demaret (Barry Pepper) is the son of aging gangster Benny Chains (Dennis Hopper). Matty is a non-criminal who is desperate to join the family business. He begs his dad for a chance and Benny's second-in-command Teddy Deserve (John Malkovich) suggests a task. Matty calls upon his unreliable loser pilot friend Johnny Marbles (Seth Green) to transport a bag filled with money. Johnny promptly loses the money in a nowhere town in Montana. Matty and his three friends descend upon the town. Chris Scarpa (Andy Davoli) is Johnny's cousin and Taylor Reese (Vin Diesel) is a street fighter from the neighborhood. Sheriff Decker (Tom Noonan) has his eyes on the newcomers.

There is a bit of a false note with either the production or the actors. Eventually, I find the false note actually working for these four guys. They are after-all not gangsters. They are wannabes. The movie works better and better, but a couple of things still do annoy me. First, it's the writing. The writing is a bit inferior. The obvious move for the gangsters is to kidnap the Sheriff's son. These guys are not thinkers. Closely related to that is Malkovich. I don't like his choices for the character. He's more odd than threatening. I can't put my finger on it. The four friends are good although Matty would never let Johnny to do the task by himself. Tom Noonan is great. It's a mixed bag of money. This is a fine second-tier gangster movie.

Young man has to decide if he's in or out.

[senortuffy · 6/10 · 15 September 2003]

This is a fairly interesting story of a young man who thinks he wants into his father's business (the mob) but faces difficult decisions along the way.

Barry Pepper ("25th Hour") plays Matty, the young man whose father, Benny Chains (Dennis Hopper), is an important figure in a Brooklyn crime family. John Malcovich plays "Uncle Teddy" - his father's top man. Matty wants to become a sports agent, but everywhere he turns in New York, people are afraid of him because of who his father is.

Matty had a chance when he was 13 to prove to Uncle Teddy that he had what it takes to be a gangster, but he wanted no part of the killing of the informant who sent his dad to prison. But now things are difficult and he decides to try and become a working member of his dad's gang.

With a push from Uncle Teddy, Matty talks his father into letting him do a job for him - delivering half a million dollars someone in Spokane owes him. One of Teddy's friends, a real lightweight, flies out and picks up the money, but he manages to lose it at some airport in a small Montana town. In a panic, Matty flies out with two of his friends, Taylor (Vin Diesel) and Scarpa (another mobster's kid trying to move up in the world).

Together with Marbles the pilot, the four scour through this little town trying to find out who has the money, but a problem soon arises - the local sheriff, played by Tom Noonan, has it and he wants to keep it. And he doesn't especially care that it belongs to some Brooklyn crime boss.

I don't want to spoil it by revealing the ending, but Matty has to decide at some point who his friends are and does he really want to be like his old man.

Well-acted. Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Tom Noonan, and John Malcovich all shine in their roles. The pathos of whether to follow in his father's footsteps isn't as interesting as how the characters try to get the money back, but the film is still pretty good.

I've seen worse...

[emdee74 · 4/10 · 8 October 2002]

The overall idea is fairly original and good. They assembled a good cast. But in the end, the story is bland and you really don't care who lives or dies or why. Poor writing plus poor direction equals a waste of good talent in a miserably failed attempt to make a Tarantinoesque film.

For me, it's suck

[kankawin25013 · 6/10 · 27 April 2011]

Knockaround Guys is a crime film about the four sons of the big mobster who have to involve in the serious situation, their father's money.

At first, I am "very" very surprised that Vin Diesel received the supporting role as Barry Pepper's "friends" (or actually the bodyguard). If you think he is the film's main hero as he portray in many movie, change your mind.

For my comment, I think this movie had a big fault. They focused on their drama scene too much, so this very slow-paced film made me boring. They tried to show everyone's feeling even its not important for the film. Especially when Vin Diesel in his role, Taylor, beat up the bad guy in the bar. The film's crew made Diesel horribly due to his talkative dialog. I believe Steven Seagal will not act like this even he is in cold-blooded style.

Some good side of this movie maybe on three things. First, the simply but very interesting plot. How the guys do when they make the mob boss' money loss? I am also very surprised about some plot twist in the film's climax which made me thrill. Second, all of the main actors act very good. Even Vin Diesel still show his professional skill in acting. Barry Pepper made us believe that he can be "adult" even his father (maybe) never trust him. John Malkovich also shows his delightfully role too.

And the last one, the movie give us in the common opinion that you can find in many crime movies. "No one can rise in the bad side." The last scene of the film pleased me.

However, if you want to see the crime film. You still have many choices.

The out-of-towners

[Jexxon · 4/10 · 10 January 2005]

Four wannabe gangsters (with fathers who really are gangsters) try to recover some lost money in order to earn some respect. However, their big-city-mob-guy tactics does not impress on the townsfolk in the hillbilly community where the money is lost.

Knockaround Guys feels like an attempt to slightly renew a well used formula by making their leads into young amateur mobsters, something that also allows for some audience drawing casting possibilities. Hence, we have Barry Pepper as our main star; a bit conflicted as to what to do with his life, Vin Diesel as his tough guy best friend; Seth Green as the miscast badly-hair dyed screw up; and a fourth guy whose name I can't remember. Throw in veterans like Hopper, Malkovich, and Noonan, and you have a pretty interesting mix.

Unfortunately, the script is pretty weak. It jumps back and forth between genres (though, thankfully without a bunch of shooting and explosions) in a way that didn't really work for me. Some of the dialogue feels awfully forced and unnatural and the plot leads down to a conclusion that's been done many times before. It's not a complete waste of time, but some more work on the script and a touch of re-casting could have made it a lot better. [4/10]

THE 3 R'S: ROOF, RIVER, AND REVOLVER

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 14 May 2019]

This is a crime family drama with good acting, decent action, and a script that holds your interest. Matty (Barry Pepper) is the son of crime boss Benny Chains (Dennis Hopper). Benny is in business with his brother Teddy (John Malkovich). Because of Matty being part of a known crime family, he can't get honest employment. He seeks to earn the trust of his father and do important tasks.

When the opportunity arises to please his father, Matty employs his coke snorting paranoid friend Marbles (Seth Green) to make a run out to Spokane to pick up a bag...which gets lost in a small town in Montana. The gang which includes Vin "I've been in 500 fights" Diesel goes there to get it back...but who has it?

The film moves along at a good pace. Not Malkovich's most convincing tough guy, Vin Diesel makes up for it.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, no sex, no nudity.

Decent, but not compelling; strong cast dragged down by a flawed script

[lemon_magic · 7/10 · 15 May 2005]

Poor Barry Pepper. I can't help but think that he thought his role in this film would be his Big Break, or at least a chance to do some real, "meaty" ACTING, but the story, dialog and direction let him down. (On the other hand, it's a major step-up in quality from "Battlefield Earth", which sucked major hind-tit through no fault of Pepper's).

There are some interesting story elements here, and some well-done individual moments. Diesel's little set-piece speech about '500' actually works if you just relax and go with it; not a lot of actors could get away with it, and he does. The actor who plays the corrupt sheriff is really pretty good - in fact, he is so good it's easy to overlook how well he fleshes out his character. Seth Green would not be my choice for any 'serious' gangster film, (he's a great actor, but he isn't physically menacing or imposing in any way) but since he is cast as the screwball/'weak sister' of the group, he works fine, and his character is given a moment of dignity and courage near the very end. A lot of people are making fun of John Malkovich in this role, but I think it all depends on whether you are a member of his cult of admirers. If you think of him as the Meyer Lansky of the film (to Dennis Hopper's Bugsy Siegel) he's perfectly valid as a seemingly effete but treacherous and cold blooded killer.

However, in spite of some good performances and some good story elements, this seems to be a case where the movie is less than the sum of its parts. I'm not sure where the air leaks out of the balloon on this project, but it simply misses the mark.

But I'm not sorry I saw it, and when I saw a used DVD of it for $10, I got it for my collection. I'll probably watch it again in a year or two, along with "Red Planet" and "Alien Resurrection", two other films that had good moments but are in no sense classics.

I'd give this one 6 and 1/2 out of ten. Competent,professional work, with enough merit to fill a slow night of couch-potato movie watching with your girlfriend or wife.

Dismal failure

[tiefling23 · 1/10 · 22 October 2002]

This was a lousy, boring movie. My first thought when the movie ended was, "At least it was only 90 minutes long." I've been trying my hardest to classify this movie, but nothing seems appropriate. There was no action to justify calling it an action flick. The horrible acting, 2D characters, and empty plot defy the term drama. The occasional laugh the movie inspired did not in any way make it a comedy. The only classification I have for it is "fiction." It is a waste of whatever money you spend to see it.

On the bright side, Vin Diesel plays an excellent tough-guy in this movie, and John Malkovich is great like always. It's a shame the movie could not have been written around these two actors, because the rest of the cast is pathetic. The lead actor, Barry Pepper, tried his hardest to be Johnny Depp, and his forced acting made me cringe.

Go see anything else. Some movies make you laugh because of how bad they are; this is not one of them. A dismal failure.