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Knockaround Guys More at IMDbPro »

Thoroughly Enjoyable., 24 May 2003

Author: P Carr (pavel@fan.com) from Topeka, KS

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

**Warning! Plot Spoilers Ahead!**

"Knockaround Guys" follows in the footsteps of "The Sopranos," presenting the story of a modern mob family, one that has fallen from its glory days and now struggles to survive, let alone thrive. Also like "Sopranos," this movie provides a number of laughs, but in different manners and for different reasons. "Knockaround Guys" combines two Hollywood cliches, the fish-out-of-water story and the coming-of-age tale. And it does so with style, flair, and attitude.

The focus of the movie revolves around a quartet of second generation mobsters. These four guys greatly appeal to viewers, because their primary characteristics combine to form a well-rounded person. Matty (Barry Pepper) is the logical thinker who tried to go straight, but couldn't shake his own name. Taylor (Vin Diesel) is the street smart tough guy with a good heart. Scarpo (Andrew Davoli) is the smooth-talking romantic. And Marbles (Seth Green) is the goofy crack-head. These four young men...thinker, fighter, lover, joker...unite to form a fairly typical but very enjoyable core of characters.

The first twenty or so minutes of "Knockaround Guys" are of the standard, set-the-stage variety. We meet the boys, and we see how they feel trapped by their circumstances. Matty finally gets a job to do for his underboss father, and he assigns Marbles, a pilot, to fly out West for a monetary pickup. Even if you've heard nothing about the movie, you just KNOW that Seth Green's character is going to screw something up. Since you do anticipate this, the directors wisely choose to relate the mishap in flashback, as Marbles confesses to Matty.

At this point, the fun truly begins, because Marbles' boneheaded maneuver occurs in a classic movie hick town, complete with the wiry and suspicious sheriff. The crew zips out to Wibaux, and the humor rarely relents for the next forty minutes. It's not always laugh-out-loud funny, but the culture clash is consistently amusing. Simply seeing the four Armani-clad men standing in front of a local dive provokes chuckles. That's how the next few scenes progress. The New York boys try their usual methods, often find that they won't work, then must alter their plans or improvise new ones to fit the inexplicable situation.

Their misadventures promote a few serious conversations between Matty and Taylor. These very good scenes provide a counterbalance to the pervasive quirky humor. Pepper and Diesel, who also teamed up in "Saving Private Ryan," click well as two lifelong friends who have chosen (or been given) different paths in life. Pepper is his usual solid self, and Diesel shines in perhaps the best role he'll be offered in the near future, a part that adds motive and reason to his usual tough persona.

Eventually Matty's Uncle Teddy (John Malkovich) and his thugs arrive in town. This sets up a bit of a twist, but one that isn't backed up particularly well. Nothing in the film contradicts it, so one can definitely accept it. But upon a repeat viewing, nothing supports it either. Therefore the switch isn't as shocking as it could have or should have been.

But even with that flaw, "Knockaround Guys" was the best 'movie' of 2002. By 'movie' I mean a popcorn sort of flick that has no pretenses of winning Oscars or achieving serious film status. It is pure fun in a strange and unexpected sort of way. The humor is difficult to explain in words, but it is captured perfectly on film.

Bottom Line: Nothing ground-breaking, but that's not what this movie is about. Just a simple and superb combination of humor, action, style, and quirkiness. Three of four stars.

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