SMOKIN' ACES
5 out of 5 stars

after watching this original, well thought-out storyline and visual storytelling, i kind of want to watch/get smokin’ aces 2 on my netflix queue next... plus, it’s got a ho fight (JERRY, JERRY, JERRY! style), more hoes, and GUNS! :P



we’re bringing this one with us to vegas this september, since it’s got all the elements of a great movie! (plus it’s about taking out a las vegas entertainer!) buddy “aces” israel is a dead man. he’s snitched out mafia secrets to the FBI in exchange for witness protection, and the family now wants him DEAD... such interesting characters line up to claim the prize: 1) pasquale acosta: spanish merc and torture expert 2) georgia and sharice: two bad-ass bitches looking for a big payday and a good kill and OMG, it’s alicia keys! 3) lazlo soot: the irish dude from sons of anarchy! also, a disguise heavy/go through great lengths kind of approach to hits... 4) the tremor bros: three crazy speed-freak neo nazi bounty hunters and OMG, it’s chris pine and keamy from LOST! so, we’ve got the assassins literally gunning about buddy israel (jeremy piven in his usual fine form), the FBI (a serious ryan reynolds yet a playful ray liotta), and boy, perspective, perspective, perspectives! (basically, you get a sense of everyone’s POV within the story- A+, joe carnahan!)


i think alicia keys and common do a great job in this, but the real gem is quality storytelling... expect a plot twist at the end! of course, perspective is always key, but (and i can’t believe i’m saying this) the cinematography and action sequences are quite good... script is quality too, especially jeremy piven’s lines, the back-and-forth between ray liotta’s character and ryan reynold’s, the “relationship” between georgia and my ghetto girl sharice! (she was benjamin button’s mama!) anyway, LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie, and must not forget to pack it in the suitcase when we fly off to vegas this september! (it’ll be a good action selection for the trip) ;)


p.s. can’t wait to visit hot smokin’ aces @ the venetian!!!