2 Guns (2013)

A DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent.

Director:

Baltasar Kormákur

Writers:

Blake Masters (screenplay), Steven Grant (based on the Boom! Studios graphic novels by)

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Bobby
Mark Wahlberg	...	Stig
Paula Patton	...	Deb
Edward James Olmos	...	Papi Greco
Bill Paxton	...	Earl
Robert John Burke	...	Jessup
James Marsden	...	Quince
Greg Sproles	...	Chief Lucas
Fred Ward	...	Admiral Tuwey
Patrick Fischler	...	Dr. Ken
Derek Solorsano	...	Ferret Nose Julio
Edgar Arreola	...	Rudy (Papi's Men)
Kyle Russell Clements	...	Teemo
Christopher Matthew Cook	...	Thick
Tim Bell	...	Lean

Storyline

Robert Trench, an undercover DEA agent, takes advantage of gunman Michael Stigman's idea to rob a bank to bust him and a mob boss. However, it proves too successful with much more money seized than anticipated with Trench's forces not stopping the getaway. Complicating things still more, Stigman turns out to be a Naval Intelligence agent who shoots Trench and takes the money. The interservice debacle suddenly finds Trench and Stigman in a bloody web of corrupt clandestine rivalries as they are hunted, blackmailed and isolated for the money on both sides of the law. Now, the fugitives must work together to find a way out of this situation with no one to turn to but themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

money | undercover | fugitive | drug cartel | bank | 

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Taglines:

2 Guns, 1 Bank.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Universal [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

2 August 2013 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Armados y peligrosos

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$61,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$27,059,130 (USA) (2 August 2013)

Gross:

$75,573,300 (USA) (18 October 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Emmett/Furla Films, Marc Platt Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Denzel Washington's character Trench escapes the Navy base by wearing a Lieutenant Commander's uniform. In the 1995 movie Crimson Tide, Denzel Washington played a Navy Lieutenant Commander.

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Goofs

When Bobby is holding Quince in his office, Quince's assistant comes in a draws his weapon. U.S. military personnel do not routinely carry sidearms on base.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Stig: Hi.
Waitress Maggie: Hi.
Stig: How many?
Waitress Maggie: two.

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Connections

Featured in ReelzChannel Specials: Richard Roeper's Red Hot Summer (2013)

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Soundtracks

Entregate
Written by Matt Hirt, Marc Ferrari, Francisco Rodriguez
Performed by Matt Hirt and Francisco Rodriguez
Courtesy of FirstCom Music

User Reviews

Mildly entertaining, a double cross extravaganza, and completely forgettable.

Based on the ultra-violent comic-book miniseries by Steven Grant, "2 Guns" director Baltasar Kormákur hits all the right notes stylistically, but comes up short on everything else. Don't anticipate a hard-hitting drama or an edge-of-the-seat thriller because the real focus of the movie is on the ever so slightly humorous relationship between its two main characters: Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. Both interact well enough together, but the film falls flat when they're separated, and sometimes it's for long stretches. However, director Baltasar Kormákur shows a great deal of improvement over the last time he worked with Wahlberg in the disappointing, and uninspiring "Contraband" (2012).

"2 Guns" is about a pair of undercover agents, neither of whom is aware of his partner's real identity. Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) is a DEA agent and Stig (Mark Wahlberg) is Navy Intelligence, but both are playing the role of a legitimate crook. Their mutual goal is to take down the cartel headed by Lord Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). Their plan to do this, which is never really explained in a way that the audience can truly understand, has something to do with robbing a bank where Papi's money is supposedly stashed in safe deposit boxes.

After the robbery takes place, however, it comes to light that the stolen money belongs to the CIA and their enforcer Earl (Bill Paxton), and he wants it back. The DEA intends to use it in a trial against Papi because getting a search warrant would be too much of a hassle. Naturally, our heroes end up being targets for what they know, having to finally work together to piece together your standard run-of-the-mill double cross extravaganza.

The real business of "2 Guns" is the camaraderie between the two bickering leads, which comes across a lot like flirting. They finish each other's sentences, order each other's breakfast, chat about "Les Misérables," and even have a scene where they stroll into the sunset arm in arm. There are chases, shootouts, and explosions, but there is nothing here you haven't seen before. With the exception of the final shootout sequence, the cinematography rarely impresses. There is limited amount of fun had in watching how Bobby and Stig survive a variety of seemingly inescapable situations, but sadly the predictable plot keeps getting in the way of all the action.

The elements gel well enough to make "2 Guns" an enjoyable summer cinematic experience. However, it is never any doubt how things will play out, and it's nothing likely to resonate after the dust has settled.