2 Guns

Because this is the summer film season, it is typical to see large budgeted movies with 'A' list actors to attract that younger demographic. Well, Hollywood has give us that in spades with "2 Guns" where we have been thrown high-adrenaline, explosiveness, an action packed premise with two top stars. Whoo hoo!

For the past year, DEA agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and U.S. Navy intelligence officer Marcus 'Stig' Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) have been working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate. The twist: Neither man knows that the other is an undercover agent. When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel lead up by Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos) and recover millions go haywire, the men are disavowed by their supervisors including Quince (James Marsden) and Jessup (Robert John Burke), and throwing in a CIA agent, Earl (Bill Paxton) trying to find the millions and will kill to get it. Trench and Stigman must go on the run lest they wind up in jail or in a grave.

Others to round out the cast are Paula Patton as Deb, a fellow DEA agent, Fred Willard as Admiral Tuwey, Greg Sproles as Chief Lucas, Patrick Fischler as Dr. Ken, Derek Solorsano as Ferret Nose Julio, and Edgar Arreola, Kyle Russell Clements, Christopher Matthew Cook, and Tim Bell as Rudy, Teemo, Thick, and Lean respectively (Papi's henchmen).

This was effectively directed with just the right amount of grit and intensity by Baltasar Kormakur ("101 Reykjavik" 2000, "The Sea" '02, "A Little Trip to Heaven" '05, "Jar City" '06, "Inhale" '10, "Contraband" '12, "The Deep" '12). This guy knows how to get his actors to be as real as they can, given that they tend to play over-the-top characters. This was written by Blake Masters based on the Boom! Studios graphic novels by Steven Grant. What really made this story work was the chemistry between Washington and Wahlberg. Their consistent banter back and forth was inviting to a premise that was good, but could use polishing.These guys look as though they had a ball acting in this film.

If you're a fan of these two actors, you'll revel with this, but even if you're not, I think that the banter was so well written with a ton of wit, you'll be laughing all the while that these guys are looking for a way out of their predicament.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                        Rated: R                           109mins.