Running time: 109 minutes
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys, Jason Bateman, Peter Berg and Andy Garcia
Rating 4 out of 10
Director Joe Carnahan's 2002 debut Narc marked him down as one to watch and thanks to its success he was attached to Mission Impossible: 3 for some time until Tom Cruise jettisoned him in favour of Lost creator JJ Abrams. As a result therefore, Smokin' Aces may well represent two fingers from Carnahan to the establishment, but while it's certainly a stylish affair, it also severely lacks substance.The plot is simple: the government has a Mafia informer (the always excellent Jeremy Piven) holed up in a Nevada hotel, under high security until his trial begins and with special protection from FBI agents Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds. Their problem is that the Mafia want Piven's character dead, and with a one million dollar ransom on his head, it;s not long before a whole crew of rogue hitmen arrive in town.
The motley crew of wannabe killers includes bounty hunter Ben Affleck, contract killer Alicia Keys, two of the world's deadliest hitmen and a group of Neo-Nazi assassins. As they attack the penthouse one by one, the carnage inevitably mounts.
Perhaps Carnahan thought he would shock with his non-stop assault on the senses. True, there is plenty of colour and vigour to the shootout, but very little point. This is what is so disappointing about Smokin' Aces: a lot of money has been spent on something which is essentially vacuous and out-of-date. It's been correctly pointed out elsewhere that it has the feel of a Guy Ritchie film, and unfortunately the film in question is Revolver.
The film is most likely to appeal to younger addicts of cinematic violence, but its 18 certificate may even deprive them of their fix.
Paul Hurley
