"Smokin' Aces" is exactly what its previews hinted at on television -- a stylish shoot-em-up action flick with a lot of star power via roles played by Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia and Jeremy Piven, as well as impressive acting debuts from Alicia Keys and Common. It's definitely a movie for the guys and those tom boy women who love a "guys" film filled with guns and killing.
The Joe Carnahan directed film is based around the role of Buddy "Aces" Israel (Jeremy Piven), an Las Vegas illusionist who is confined to a suite over looking Nevada's Lake Tahoe. Why? Because he's got a million dollar hit on his head for turning state's evidence against the mob that made him, specifically Primo Sparazza (Joseph Ruskin), the mob boss who wants his head.
The million dollar bounty on Buddy's head attracts some of the world's most notorious contract killers, and they are all trying to get to win the race to murder Buddy before each other, all while the Feds are trying to take him into protective custody, which makes for some interesting and entertaining film.
Seven assassins take on the hit: Acosta (Nestor Carbonell), the Tremor brothers (Chris Pine, Kevin Durand and Maury Sterling), Lazlo Soot (Tommy Flanagan) and, last but not least, the hot pair of Georgia Sykes and Sharice Watters (Taraji P. Henson).
Watching the Tremor brothers (Chris Pine, Kevin Durand and Maury Serling) -- blood-thristy trigger happy neo-Nazi skinheads -- try to whack Buddy is priceless. Sadist Pasquale Acosta and disguise artist Lazlo Soot approach it in a more subtle and intelligent way using their experience and trained skills to make their attempts at getting to Buddy a little more discrete. But watching Georgia Sykes and her lover Sharice Watters in action is one of the film's highlights.
Sharice camps out in a hotel room across the street, equipped with a 50 caliber sniper rifle to watch Georgia's back, while she attempts to blend in with a group of hookers who are on their way to Buddy's room for entertainment. Keys debut performance was sensational, showcasing what seems to be a natural acting talent, which draws you to her.
There are multiple subplots in "Smokin' Aces" that, although are interesting, may weigh down the film somewhat, in addition to the number of characters. Despite that minor criticism, it's a solid effort by Carnahan with enough action, guns and comedic relief to keep viewers entertained for its 109 minute runtime, as well as rank up evenly against other movies in the crime film genre.
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