GUNMEN
A film review by Mark Takacs
Copyright 1994 Mark Takacs
Dimension Films (Division of Mirimax) / 91 mins / rated R
Starring: Christopher Lambert Kadeem Hardison Sally Kirkland
Mario Van Peebles Brenda Bakke Denis Leary
Patrick Stewart
Tak Classification: Comedy Whup-Ass
Tak Rating: see once as a matinee
One-Line-Summary ---------------- A comedy/action-adventure where a DEA agent teams up with a smuggler to beat a drug lord's hitman to a prize of $400 million.
Tak Plot Summary ---------------- The action in GUNMEN takes place in South America and Mexico, where we find out that drug lord Loomis (Patrick Stewart) has had his entire $400 million fortune stolen. He hires ruthless killer O'Malley (Denis Leary) to retrieve it for him. Meanwhile, temporary DEA agent Cole (Mario Van Peebles) is forced to team up with outlaw Dani (Christopher Lambert); only together do they have the whole picture of where the millions have been hidden.
Tak Thoughts ** minor spoilers -- from the first 10 minutes ** ------------ Well, this movie seems like yet more Hollywood actors jumping at a chance to play cops and robbers on the big screen. The result is a silly whup-ass film. Emphasis on silly. There are film cliches, plot devices from every drug-lord/cop movie every made, one-liners, overacted parts and sappy music. Some of the scenes are right out of something like NAKED GUN. (a hand reaching out of a fresh grave, a sunset burial at the beach (?!?), nuns, big black *shiny* 4x4s just driven through the amazon basin, etc). Everyone's having great fun with their roles though. You need to keep in mind that it's a COMEDY action adventure that doesn't take itself seriously at all.
You really can predict what's going to happen next. The plot devices are well used, to put it kindly. Some of the only surprises come from abrupt jumps to odd places (an exclusive glitzy rap bar in the middle of the Amazon jungle?). You can even predict the end if you think a little bit, but why ruin all your fun?
I think Denis Leary (cd NO CURE FOR CANCER, THE REF, THE SANDLOT) had the most fun. He gets to play the hired killer who does everything with a brutal grin and a sarcastic comment. Repatedly, Leary's O'Malley character gets to stomp around and express frustration in amusing ways as he confronts his boss, chases our heros, and brow-beats his help for shooting-to-kill when he needs information. It's just so hard to get good thugs these days.
Patrick Stewart (ST:TNG, DUNE, LADY JANE, LIFEFORCE) played his drug lord role with relish, especially since it is such a change for him recently. From the press packet: With his role as the captain of the starship Enterprise, "I became everything synonymous with honor, intelligence, and rectitude," he says. "Loomis is a delightful and refreshing alternative to that." Indeed. In his very first appearance, we see him sitting at an open grave, where he calmly has his wife buried alive.
According to the press packet, Christopher Lambert (HIGHLANDER, GREYSTOKE,THE SICILIAN) called up out of the blue and asked for this roll. Apparently, he wanted to play a comedy character, Cole's idiot side-kick. I'm not particularly fond of idiot-comedy of this sort, but he was good at it.
The action was good. Lots of chases, gun-fu (all the bad guys went to storm-trooper gun schools--nobody can shoot straight when they're shooting at main characters), knife-fu and helicopter-fu, boat-fu, and some good old beating-fu. There are plenty of unbelievable action sequences--more than your typical surviving a brutal beating with a few scratches. We get dives out of helicopters, over cliffs and waterfalls and through rapids--all easily shaken off. There's also an awesome knife assassin--he knocks off five guards in as many seconds, some at least thirty feet away, behind partial cover and fifteen feet up. What's the drug lord need with O'Malley when he's got this gem?
Tak Rating system: ------------------ I really wish they woulda left the cliched cinematic moments out of this film. I can only hope the more cheesy ones were in there for their comedy effect. The action was pretty good, though a bit of a stretch. And finally, I'm not sure the whup-ass mixes well with comedy. *However*, viewed with all those caveats, it was still a fun movie to watch. It's better viewed as a showcase for your favorite actors and rappers. They all wanted to make a comedy/whup-ass movie and they finally got their chance in GUNMAN.
avoid at all costs
watch it on cable
wait for videotape
X see once as a matinee
see several times (w/friends) as matinee
see once at full price
see it several times - full and/or matinee
see many times at full price
.
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