Tango and Cash, Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, 48 Hrs, The Last Boy Scout, the list is endless when it comes to buddy cop movies. Depending on the chemistry between the two leads a lot of these kinds movies are actually not bad. Case in point today’s fbf: 2 Guns.
Based on the graphic novel of the same name you’ve got Denzel Washington playing DEA agent Bobby (aka Bobby T, aka Bobby Beans) and Mark Wahlberg playing Navy Petty Officer Stig, both undercover unbeknownst to each other. They start out the movie casing a bank and bickering on what kind of breakfast to order at the diner that serves the best donuts in three counties. As the movie goes on the two guys rob a bank and run afoul of the Mexican cartel and shady CIA guys who want their money back. After they both find out about who they really are, like most buddy movies, they team up to take down the bad guys.
The movie is actually a fun ride for everyone involved. Denzel Washington is looking like he’s having the most fun he’s had since Training Day and Mark Wahlberg plays it loose and actually works well with Washington. They both know how to share the screen and play off each other very well; the movie benefits from that. One actor who definitely deserves a notice is bad guy Bill Paxton who throws out funny lines without even trying to be funny, he just does these things flawlessly. One scene in particular is when he’s talking to drug kingpin Papi Greco about his machismo and how much in awe he is of it. It’s a scene that would’ve been played for knee slapping laughs but comes across much better playing it straight.
And let’s give Paula Patton an extra shout out! After showing us some acting chops in Denzel and Tony Scott’s Deja Vu, Patton comes in with a lot more confidence and shows us she can have fun with the guys. Put Paula in every movie, please. Let’s give her a franchise and have her team up with Charlize Theron’s Atomic Blonde. Thank you.
You gotta give a lot of credit to director Baltasar Kormakur as well for keeping the action and comedy well balanced. Its as if Kormakur made a fun Jerry Bruckheimer movie that Bruckheimer wishes he had probably stuck with instead of making King Arthur or even the Chris Rock dud Bad Company. Coming off of Contraband which also starred Wahlberg, Kormakur shows he has an eye for action and can make his stars look good. You could say he has a similar style to that of Peter Berg (Lone Survivor). The action isn’t too choppy and he can make his leads look cool shooting guns in slow motion while money is flying around them.
Yes, the buddy action movie has been done quite a bit, but 2 Guns has that sly wit that puts it up there as one better ones in the genre. Here’s hoping we could hopefully get a 2 Guns 2 or 2 Guns 2 Furious, maybe? In the meantime while we wait, be sure to give this one another look and …till then enjoy movies, madafakkas.
Catch Mando on Twitter at @manbat33 when he’s not co-hosting the @TalentedSlacker podcast!