Joe Carnahan delivers plenty of flash, flesh, and furious ferocity in his latest film, Smokin’ Aces. This violent romp is packed with outrageous characters and in-your-face shoot ‘em up mayhem. Though it is by no means a weighty or substantive narrative experience, it does have its merits. The bevy of over the top degenerates, the spiraling plot twists, and the unbalanced pacing can be hard to keep up with, but the octane keeps pumping and the never-say-die action hurls viewers onward.
The focal point of this fracas is Buddy “Aces” Israel (Jeremy Piven), a drugged up, paranoid, mob snitch with a large bounty on his head. Israel is an ex-Vegas entertainer, turned wannabe mobster who decides to testify against his former mafia associates. Understandably this decision does not go over well with certain people, and as a result an unruly posse of sadistic assassins is directed to resolve the situation. Piven’s portrayal of the coke snorting lowlife magician is at times excessive (much like every other facet of this film) but still very convincing and compelling.
Among the various violent scoundrels congregating at Israel’s scenic Lake Tahoe penthouse are three redneck, neo-nazi, lunatic brothers, two urban hit women with a hinted at lesbian relationship (Alicia Keys), a face stealing master of disguise, a heartless Spaniard famous for his torture techniques, and three common bounty hunting bail bondsmen from Las Vegas (Ben Affleck). Representing law and order in this riotous mix are the two FBI agents (Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds) who are sent to retrieve Israel before he meets a grizzly demise. If you are familiar with Ryan Reynolds previous work, specifically his role as Van Wilder, it can be a bit difficult to take him seriously. Most of the characters are amusing but lack any real depth or substance. We get nothing more than a glimpse under the surface and are unable to develop a connection with any particular individual. Through most of the movie it is fairly ambiguous who we ought to be rooting for. Whether intentional or not, this lack of a definitive protagonist prevents viewers from engaging emotionally with the characters and investing in the story.
The style and mood of Smokin’ Aces is vaguely reminiscent of some Guy Ritchie films, such as Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000). Aces has a bit less grit and wit, but more exuberant energy and glitz. The dark humor and nearly cartoonish excess of violence brings Quinton Tarantino to mind, but Smoking’ Aces pales in comparison with his originality and flair. This film is an amusing adrenaline boost, but it does not provide anything to sink your teeth into in terms of message or scope, nor does it resonate on anything but a visceral level. If you’re after an hour and forty odd minutes of hold-nothing-back, in-your-face, extra violent, brazen action mixed with flashy visual imagery, then you won’t be disappointed. However, if you hope for a meaty developed plot and a satisfying holistic cinematic experience, you may want to look elsewhere.