2 Guns (2013)

When it’s over, 2 men, 2 W’s - Washington and Wahlberg, and under 2 hours make this action film decently enjoyable. Every few years, Hollywood comes up with a buddy-cop film, which pairs 2 law enforcement officers with different styles, attitudes, and skin color. For 2013, it’s 2 Guns. DEA agent, Robert Trench (Denzel Washington,) and naval intelligence officer, Michael Stigman (Mark Wahlberg), are undercover operatives working to capture a powerful drug lord, Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). To do this, they try to rob Greco’s bank and steal his money, but instead, end up stealing millions from the CIA. What follows is a string of dead bodies and a lot of double crossing. The film has some interesting twists, which keeps the viewer on edge, but not the chemistry between the leading men to make the film memorable. Unlike buddy films like Lethal Weapon, Men in Black, and 48 hours, 2 Guns does not have that love and hate bonding, which is crucial to making the comedy and relationship work onscreen. Both actors deliver fine performances, but I am not sold on their pairing. I did like Bill Paxton as top ranking CIA agent, because he acts like a loaded weapon ready to go off any second. His character adds unexpected conflict. However, I did not like James Marsden as Michael’s boss, because his good boy image makes it hard for me to accept him as a backstabber. I think Marsden is a versatile actor, but he is wrongly cast here. Still, if you like action films with plenty of ricocheting bullets, then you will enjoy this film, but do not expect anything more than what it is – 2 men with 2 guns.

My rating: 3 out of 5