The Way of the Gun (2000) User Reviews

Violence Galore!

[frankwhat · 7/10 · 15 October 2004]

For any action movie fans out there that love shoot-outs that hinder on the brink of insanity then this movie is for you. The plot was hard to understand in some parts yet it was still good and sometimes the motives were beyond the viewer's grasp but it still flowed well regardless. There were some kick ass quotes as needed in this genre of film and James Caan was simply awesome in his role as an aging bag-man. While I'm not a huge fan of Ryan Phillippe he actually was passable as this character and utilized a suiting accent. Benicio Del Toro was probably the best as his expressions and just the way he says things is unbeatable. Even though it was two hours long it seemed like only half that, so overall it's a great watch. My only warning is that if you're included in the faint of heart then this probably is one to avoid as this was definitely a dab of the good OL' ultra-violence!

Final Say:

Movies: Would've been enjoyable to see it there.

DVD Purchase: Based on how low it's currently priced I probably won't be able to help myself.

Rental: Come on, you know you want to!!!

Well... It's Not Bad

[sherbetsaucers · 7/10 · 6 February 2007]

Opening with intrusive, loud music and grabbing your attention straight away Way Of The Gun is definitely a movie that intends to hold your concentration and not let go of it no matter what you might do to try and wriggle free. Not that I did much wiggling, I rarely do these days, must be something to do with my hips.

Starting with our two leads Parker (Ryan Phillippe) and Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro) (if ever the term anti-hero was to apply to anyone it's them), we straight away realise that neither of these men really care about much in general. We're able to guess this by the way that one punches a woman in the face and head a couple of times, though really she did deserve it, and the other decided to kiss a perfect stranger, before stamping hard on her foot when she let him know just how much she didn't enjoy being kissed. This odd attitude is further re-enforced by the voice-over where we learn that while leads Parker and Longbaugh may believe in some kind of destiny, they have no intention of letting it rule their life. So we find ourselves, as so often we do in these situations, at a sperm bank. Here the pair overhear a doctor talking about a surrogate mother who is working for a very rich couple, and so a fiendish kidnapping plan is made.

What follows is a shoot-out you don't see and a high-speed car chase involving very slow moving cars. The car chase itself is a particular highlight for me. Still, once they have the kidnapped girl, Parker and Longbaugh quickly realise that they are in way over their heads. It appears that when kidnapping it's sometimes a good idea to find out who you are kidnapping from. Our two anti-heroes are not going to give up, culminating in a particularly slick final shootout. For those of you who may have noticed, the names Parker and Longbaugh are actually the real names of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Hands up anyone who thinks their final stand is going to go well? Coming from the very complicated shaped pen of Christopher McQuarrie, writer of The Usual Suspects we can obviously expect plot twists and turns that will very quickly have us dazed and confused. In ancient Greece it was believed that the sun obviously goes around the earth. Assumptions can be wrong. Apart from one 'surprise' that wasn't all that surprising and a bombshell at the end that, while unexpected also wasn't all that explosive. Having now gained the enmity of McQuarrie for all eternity can I also say that the script itself is well written. The dialogue, while not realistic, is very well written and believable and each of the characters have something about them that we latch onto.

But of course writing isn't anything without decent performances to bring it out. Toro and Phillippe are both very, very cool and slick, despite the fact that they are also portrayed as being inept criminals, (two aspects that I didn't find gelled so well). Taye Diggs and Nicky Katt as the bodyguards/general mooks Jeffers and Obecks get to look very good throughout the movie, Diggs especially impressing with his double-crossing villain. However the two stand out performances come from James Caan and Geoffrey Lewis. Both of these men give fantastically understated performances, with their final scene together in the car being at once very poignant and close to hysterical. They both have a world-weariness about them that is a fitting counter-point to the slick and stylish actions of the world around them. Caan is obviously reluctant to kill the two men he has been sent to deal with, indeed he clearly likes them far more than the people he is being forced to work with.

I do need to make a special mention of the action sequences. The way that the actors move with and handle their guns just feels right. Apart from a couple of insane shots with a pistol the gunplay is very realistic and heightens the feeling of tension and danger throughout the movie.

This is a movie that tries to balance comedy, action and thriller elements. For the most part I think it manages admirably and is generally worth watching. This is definitely one that I enjoyed more halfway through once a friend had arrived and started watching it with me. Now and then you want to be able to grin at a friend and just nod, acknowledging that something you just watched was very cool, gruesome or cool and gruesome.

Worth owning!

[Mr Parker · 8/10 · 8 February 2001]

From the very beginning, I knew I was about to see something I hadn't seen before. This movie is nuts! This is one of those movies that has you sitting at attention because it is absolutely unpredictable. The action scenes are great because they're a stray from the normal "heroes with impeccable aim" shootouts that we're all so used to seeing. Check it out so you could see what I mean. The acting is pretty good and that goes even for Ryan Phillipe, who I wanted to strangle until I saw this flick. What is up with that accent of his in this movie? Where the hell is he supposed to be from? Benicio Del Toro does better here than he did in Usual Suspects. Sorry Fenster fans, but Longbaugh is the man now. The only complaint I had with this movie was that it was a little hard to follow. It's very easy to get lost here but pay attention, gang. This movie deserves it. A hidden gem. **** out of *****.

Slow-burn to an almighty finish. (Slight Spoilers).

[Wilander · 27 August 2004]

Most action movies don't bother with such simple devices as plot, characters or an engaging storyline. Some would say that this is a genre strength, an excuse to turn away from highbrow thought to high-key, mindless mayhem. Whilst that is all well and good, most people eventually find themselves wanting...more. That little bit extra to garnish an already tasty dish. Here, Christopher McQuarrie presents a whole lotta extra treats, whilst never losing his grip upon tension or bloody spectacle. Rambo-lovers, however, should best stay clear, for this is undoubtedly a Thinking man's shoot 'em up. When,as an example, did the "hero" confess to feeling guilt over murdering a paedophile? Conduct torture purely for cash? Get royally shafted in what we assumed would be an all-out celebration of hip carnage? Bear in mind that this was 200, a whole year before Spider-Man told folk that "it's ok to cry whilst kicking the sh*t out of somebody". Brave stuff. Were this all that Chris provided in the way of innovation, it'd still be mightily impressive, yet he also shows some serious balls within structural limits. As opposed to having bullet dance/chat/explosion/one-liner, he allows moments to build, ebbing, flowing, surely swelling into one large tidal wave of carnage. By the time blood begins to shed, an audience is engaged with two low-life antiheros, whilst sympathising with their-refreshingly scarred-nemesis. It's truly remarkable to see well-choreographed brutality mixing delicately with excellent performances, there's that constant "Yes, i GET you!" feeling beneath every frame. Sit back, tune your head and, and relish this sun-drenched delight.

Could have been a classic, but.....

[collierandy · 6/10 · 19 November 2020]

Great gun play and action sequences but over long and boring in places..

A Nutshell Review: (DVD) The Way of the Gun (2000)

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 1 January 2006]

Written by the same dude who wrote The Usual Suspects, The Way of the Gun is a much simpler tale compared to the award winning Suspects. It tells of two small time crooks, played by Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro, who get entangled in a game of crooks versus crooks when they try to pull of a kidnapping.

Dreaming of bigger things in life, but regardless of the method used to achieve their dreams of riches, they overhear a conversation at a sperm bank clinic (one of the most happening dialogues in the movie happens there) about a surrogate mother bearing the child of some rich family. They decide to kidnap the lady, played by Juliette Lewis, and hold the mother and child hostage.

However, they embroil themselves into a bigger web of intrigue, as every character, from the mother, the husband and wife who employed her, the doctor, the bodyguards, to the "bagmen", all have their own agenda, and the relationships between one another must be one of the most complex written for the screen in recent times. Everything is more than meets the eye, and betrayals and double crossings are the agenda for the day.

The pacing is well measured, and there are moments of suspense masterfully injected at points in the movie. I like the initial hostage taking scene, where the sudden shift of focus and introduction of complexity catches our two anti-heroes Longbaugh (Del Toro) and Parker (Phillippe) completely off guard. The car chase and pursuit is also one of the more innovative and quirky scenes in the movie, one which Del Toro actually suggested, and got it made on screen. You have to watch it to believe.

The finale gives a kick to western shoot-em-up fans, as Longbaugh and Parker go head to head with everyone in a Mexican brothel, using modern day weapons of shotguns and handguns. Thrown into the mix is veteran James Caan, as a bag-man extraordinaire, having been so long in the business because of his experience in staying alive.

Del Toro and Phillippe exude an excellent bond of camaraderie between their characters - they trust nobody except for themselves, while I thought Juliette Lewis was terrific in her role as the very pregnant mother caught between both sides, and yet bringing out strength as she fights for her child's and her own survival, taking her interests in her own hands.

It's a good mix of action and workout for your brain as you figure out the relationships between the characters as the narrative moves along. Suited for those mundane afternoons in which you want to break out from.

No special additions in this Code 1 DVD.

Noir Ain't Dead-- It Was Just Resting

[Quicksand · 10/10 · 10 February 2007]

What I fail to understand is why if "The Usual Suspects" was so incredibly popular (because it was so freakin' good), "The Way of the Gun" gets stepped on, both at the box office upon its initial release, and in various, snarky IMDb user comments.

This movie isn't just good. It's INTENSE. It's DARK. There's not a single character in the movie who's likable, and some viewers attack that like it's a bad thing. The story line is complex, the relationships between the numerous characters are subtle and nuanced; and still, some viewers attack that like that's a bad thing.

Just because a viewer doesn't understand something, doesn't make the film bad. It's a difference of opinion, absolutely, but that doesn't make "The Way of the Gun" a bad film. Au contraire, this is a very smart film... and when a filmmaker is making a smart film about amoral, gun-toting outlaws, the people who come to see that sort of movie are going to feel confused and angry. Because they wanted it to be simple. They wanted easy answers, a clear-cut good guy and bad guy, and a happy ending. The way movies have gone since film noir faded away, decades ago.

But this film is not so simple, and neither are the characters within it, nor is the plot. Chris McQuarrie refuses to write something so cut-and-dry, so black-and-white. It's taut, it's tight, it rides a bad vibe from the opening sequence all the way down to the last line. This film is so gritty it makes me feel dirty after watching it... McQuarrie may be a victim of his own success, because it was released in the aftermath of "The Usual Suspects," but if it built up an underground following like "The Killer," it would be on the shelf of must-haves next to John Woo, Guy Ritchie and any other art film your parents wouldn't approve of.

Every character has his own motive, has his own backstory, and not all are necessarily spelled out for you. The dialogue is wound so tight, it snaps: "Fifteen million dollars is not money. It's a motive, with a universal adapter on it."

I own this movie, and on a dark, rainy afternoon, I'll whip it out on the unsuspecting guest... "It's from the writer of 'The Usual Suspects'" I tell them. And from the opening scene, they're INTO IT.

It's not for everyone. But don't you dare call it a bad film. This is where YOUR favorite filmmaker steals all of his ideas.

Convoluted crime drama in the wake of Pulp Fiction

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 5 October 2012]

Two low-life criminals (Ryan Phillippe & Benicio Del Toro) kidnap a pregnant surrogate (Juliette Lewis) of a rich couple who, unknowingly, has ties to the mob.

"The Way of the Gun" (2000) is an offbeat flick in the tradition of "Pulp Fiction" written & directed by a proven screenwriter and featuring a quality cast, which includes James Caan. It's touted as a "modern Western" with two protagonists patterned after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (their names in the film are the last names of Butch & Sundance).

It starts out as a black comedy with cussing every other word, but then morphs into a serious crime drama with flashes of gunplay. The score is notable.

Two issues hinder the film: (1) A plot that becomes convoluted and therefore increasingly unbelievable, and (2) unlikable characters, except for maybe the surrogate. Concerning the second issue, I understand the concept of antiheroes, but even antiheroes require some redeemable or universally human qualities to make the audience root for them or care about them. Wolverine and Clint Eastwood's Western characters, like Josey Wales, are good examples, as are the antiheroes in films like "Runaway Train" and "Apocalypse Now," two cinematic masterpieces.

These two points naturally create disinterest and tempt the viewer to tune out. The first time I watched it I gave up by the 90-minute mark with a half hour to go, I could care less about the characters, their story or how it turned out, even though I tried.

On my second viewing, I decided to pay closer attention and stick with the movie till the end. I'm glad I did because this is a well-written examination of crime & violence and the fools involved. An attempt is made to flesh-out all the main characters and I'm talking no less than nine people, each of whom are a piece of the interlocking puzzle, often with their own agenda.

While it's no where near great like the seminal "Pulp Fiction," it has style and glimmerings of depth. If you can get past the convoluted story and unlikable characters, it certainly has its points of interest, like well-scripted dialogues and Del Toro's towering performance, not to mention Taye Diggs's interesting heavy.

The film was shot in Utah in the Salt Lake City area.

GRADE: B-

I thought it was great

[Gustavo Martinez · 9/10 · 30 January 2001]

I can only comment negatively about one scene in the movie. I thought the movie was extremely effective in building up the intensity of certain scenes, however they used probably their most dramatic and climatic orchestra number for a scene where they simply dumped bags of money into a truck and drove off. My girlfriend and I stood confused as the music built up and built up, then finally climaxed. Didn't make a bit of sense to either of us.

With that said- I thought this movie was outstanding. Benicio Del Toro has this presence about him that radiates "coolness", and Ryan Phillippe did a remarkable job as well with his role. There were scenes in which hardly any dialogue was spoken, yet whole paragraphs were spoken through facial expressions. Thats a testament to the abilities of the actors right there. The double meaning of the game of hearts explanation was fascinating and fun to decipher.

Plots twists galore, not a single one of them predictable. The terminology was all new to me (i.e. bagman/dejudication I think it was...) and it made me feel like I was actually participating in the movie.

This is a thinkers movie, and some people may not be in the mood for that. The entirely creative car chase scenes and shoot out sequences are enough to satisfy the most mindless action fan, however.

This movie is just cool.

Ponderous, yet thrilling spectacle.

[the red duchess · 6/10 · 5 December 2000]

This is one of the strangest films I have seen in a long time. Bloated and pretentious, it is like an oversized car that grinds to a halt, spurting occasionally into movement. Though humourless and cynical, it is an epic farce; epic because of the Western backdrop against which it is played; farce, because the whole project seems ready to collapse under its own earnestness, characters come and go unexpectedly, there's a lot of going in and out of doorways, the action shifts between distances thousands of miles apart, and yet the same characters seem to recongregate, as if some great big hand is moving the delf along a table.

I'm not able to tell whether 'Way of the Gun' is absurdly complex or foolishly simple. The major problem is the screenplay, which seems desperate to remind us of the plot's metaphysical depth, when, as Keaton and Melville have taught us, action is eloquent enough on its own.

Some have seen the film as a denunciation of violent cinema, cool macho gangster nihilism, as the sterile, masturbatory crooks (the chief of whom can't even have a baby with his wife) is contrasted with the simple values of maternity and fertility - when the enviably calm 'bagman' Joe Sarno walks in on Robin in labour, he seems momentarily struck with awe. He is the only character at the end not tainted by blood - after all, he is the cleaner - and McQuarrie doesn't seem to be making much distinction between the blood of a bursting mother and the wounds of a bunch of gunmen.

If the screenplay never transcends its own gaze, we can always concentrate of McQuarrie's directorial style. Some have compared the film to 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (the narrator gives himself and his accomplice the real-life surnames of the outlaws), but 'The Wild Bunch' is as good a starting point as any - the alternation of thunderous gunfights with an unearthly calm; the dead-end masculinity; the ritual finale (when Parker jumps into the dry fountain full of broken beer bottles - ouch!); the rare feel for landscape and architecture.

The long central sequence in Mexico, where the plot overload seems to stand still, is a familiar Peckinpah device, as the men rejuvenate, take stock, reflect, although actual Mexicans are conspicuously sparse. Peckinpah was very much influenced by 'The Treasure of Sierra Madre', and like most Huston films, 'Way' is a hymn to failure.

What's surprising, though, for such a self-regarding wordsmith, is what a great action director McQuarrie is. The gunfights here are truly visceral, very 1970s, exciting and full of crackling guns, the best since 'Heat', and showing most Hollywood action thrillers up for the cartoons they are. The opening fight outside the concert is like a diabolic inversion of 'Grease', while the 'Battleship Potemkin' parody getaway with the pregnant Robin is extraordinary. As is the way the cold modernist sheen a la 'Claire Dolan' gives onto the old-fashioned dustiness of a Western. The music is terrific too, alternating melodramatic squalls of 'Usual Suspects'-like dread, with thrilling castanetas, as if the whole film is just one big corrida.

Good start but fades away

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 2 June 2014]

Parker (Ryan Phillippe) and Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro) are two petty criminals with not much going for them. They come up with a scheme to kidnap surrogate Robin (Juliette Lewis) who is carrying a gangster's baby. She is under guard every moment by Jeffers (Taye Diggs) and Obecks (Nicky Katt).

This starts with a pretty funny scene with a loudmouth Sarah Silverman pushing her boyfriend to fight Ryan Phillippe. She gets punched in the face and it's shockingly funny. I wish the rest of this is just as good. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has created something that is a little bit off. It's pulpy but it's way too much of a mess. It has a bit of action, but there are long stretches of boring inaction . It tries to be 'Pulp Fiction' but he ain't no Tarantino. But then who is? The dialog is stiff. Overall there is no likable character anywhere, not even Robin. There is no rooting interest. It is stretched out far too much after an interesting kidnapping start. McQuarrie is trying to do his own movie after the success of writing 'The Usual Suspects'. It shows some promise with some unusual touches. However this is a near miss overall.

Sam Peckinpah is Looking Up Smiling

[BrianWilsonAsauras · 10/10 · 8 September 2000]

"Way of the Gun" is the best western to come down that perverbial turnpike in a great while. Like the aging cynical worn out outlaws in Peckinpahs Wild Bunch, these modern day anti-hero's whether Old or young realize that sometimes life gives you that one chance. It is up to you to seize it . whether its kidnapping your fortune or giving birth to it we all soon realize that in the end we all come in the same way & go out the same way the difference being on how hard.

Although I know I am in the extreme minority "Way of the Gun is a much more complete film than Usual Suspects it is a metaphor for the careless way we lead our lives only realizing that the one most innocent and beautiful thing is life it self. Bravo Christopher a fine film indeed!!!

Off and on, a great film

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 16 September 2000]

This film had a lot of great stuff to look for, but unfortunately, it lulled in spots, which is a downer for a type of Tarantino Resovoir Dogs type of flick. Writer and first time director Chris McQuarie has a lot of good things here, but he might want to consider a little editing though. There are, believe it or not, some not needed scenes here (maybe so, maybe not). But, lukcily, some of them are overshadowed by a better than average script and very credible actors: Ryan Phillipe and Benicio Del Torro make a good duo, Juliette Lewis is slutty yet charming in a pregnant role and most notably in one of his best roles, James Caan as a aging hitman who will get villain fans cheering. Exceptional action ending and it's actors almost make up for some boring points in this film and it is worth a look whether it is likeable or not. B+

Night of the Hunter 2000

[caspian1978 · 5/10 · 1 June 2002]

Wow, what a strange movie, even for the 21st Century. Why? Is one of the many questions audiences asked after they watched this film. Why did they make such a movie and why did we just watch it. You got yourself a kick butt cast of characters and some interesting dialogue that puts rational minds to shame. Still, the story line did nothing for the thousands of other bad stories that Hollywood has created in the past. I think many Pulp Fiction fans entered the cinema to see this one with big hopes and received nothing. If this went a little more independent, I think the audience with low expectations would have left the cinema more inspired and happy. Then again, it was a cool flick to watch when the cable box breaks down on a tuesday night!

An adult action movie

[Grabbagool · 30 July 2004]

I used to like movies like: "The Matrix" and "Bad Boys". But I've grown very tired of violent conflict portrayed as easy, fun, moral, and without risk. This is a movie where all the violence is fearsome, difficult, and wholly unpleasant. As it should be, anything else really is dishonest and evil.

This is one reason i think most people don't like this movie. There are two more. One is a somewhat complicated plot. There are about a dozen characters and each one have different motives and I think most people can handle no more than 4 motives. The other reason is that the "main characters" are not the heroes of the story. They set the story in motion and keep it together but they are not who the movie is about and to tell a story in such an unconventionally roundabout way is entirely confusing for some people.

So you may not like this movie if...

You are uncomfortable with violence being violent,

You can't keep track of the motivations of 8 separate characters,

You automatically believe that the story is about the characters played by the actors pictured largest on the box.

otherwise you may really like this movie because it's really well made in all its aspects.

A well staged gritty kidnap flick with limited appeal.

[=G= · 6/10 · 6 January 2001]

"The Way of the Gun" is a gritty, messy, bloody, dark kidnap B-flick in which the entire cast of characters is somewhere between wanton and downright evil. The film's plot is a twisty-turny convoluted kind of mess which asks more questions than it answers and may interest or even seduce viewers with an appetite for blood and guts crime films. The shootout scenes are fairly well staged, the script waxes philosophical in an ambiguous sort of way, and the movie does sort itself out in the end. Certainly not for everyone, this peculiar flick will find an audience among those with an appetite for the bizarre.

Plot is a little silly in some ways, but has pretty good characters and action.

[neworderrr · 7/10 · 5 December 2018]

I'm torn on this film. I find some aspects of the plot to be pretty dumb, but then I find other parts involving characters to be really good. I liked it overall as a 'noir' action movie. Reminds me a little of a 'B' version of something LIKE 'No Country For Old Men'. Watch it if on cable or it is on your streaming service of choice.

Yes. Yes yes yes.

[Lofwer · 10/10 · 8 September 2000]

Does one usually go into an action film starring Ryan Phillipe expecting to think, expecting to be challenged. I did not, in this case. And so, as I found myself confronted by this extraordinarily cool contemporary crime/western, I was shocked. This has all the makings of a generic film. The philosophical/amoral central team... could've been Pulp Fiction redux. The wise older criminal sharing his wisdom with those below him... If I really went into all the elements of this movie that could've been handled as shameless rip offs of other films, that list alone would take me over 1,000 words.

The brilliance of this film is that MacQuarrie, impressively directing for the first time from his own script, takes familiar elements, tired cliches, and breaths new, inventive life into them. This is a neat hat trick, and not an easy one. Godard did it with HIS first film, Breathless. Tarantino did it with Pulp Fiction. And MacQuarrie does it here. Note that the aforementioned instance is the only place where you will hear a mention of Tarantino similarities in this review. Those who would criticize Way of the Gun as being derivative of Taranton's film are missing the point and not really watching the film.

This film reflects an utter familiarity with the conventions of CINEMA. Of the things that go into a great film. Knowing those thigns so well, as Godard did, allows MacQuarrie to become freed enough to work with them, change them, and make them become something knew. It is quite an achievement, and this is quite an awesome film.

Best shoot-out movie

[greg-williams763 · 6/10 · 6 March 2018]

I love the shoot outs in this movie. Great gun play!

No Heroes

[rregan-3 · 10/10 · 15 September 2005]

The title itself is based on the samurai code Way of the Sword. You live by the gun/sword, you die by the gun/sword. Phillipe and Del Toro's characters are reminiscent of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Wild Bunch, and The Man with No Name. The two say so much without ever talking. Their facial expressions and personal ticks speak louder than words ever could. In a world with seemingly no law, these two men get in way over their heads when they kidnapp the wrong surrogate mother. She just happens to be the surrogate mother to one of the richest men with the most mob contacts. Violence and mystery ensue as we see there are no heroes. The grand finale is a shoot-out that ruvals that of The Wild Bunch.

Something about this movie is genius

[Keyser Soze-12 · 7/10 · 9 September 2000]

The Way of the Gun is some kind of classic. I think I should first mention that Christopher McQuarrie is one hell of a director as he is a writer. As most of you know, McQuarrie won an Oscar for his writing talents on The Usual Suspects, and no one knew if he could direct. Well, he can. He really, really can. The man was born to direct as well as write.

The plot can be a bit confusing in some parts, but what do you expect from the man who made the most confusing, and not to mention most intelligent movie of all time? This is the first movie I have seen Ryan Phillippe in that I though he did a good job. I hadn't cared for him up to this movie, but he has shown that he can act. My favorite person of the movie is Bendicio Del Toro. He pulls off the strong silent type thing perfectly. As for the chemistry between the two, you just can't beat these guys.

My only problem with the movie is the source for its confusing nature, its poor editing. If only Chris could find someone who can edit as well as he can direct. Some scenes are too long and disrupt the pace of the movie. Many scenes are cut too quickly and put together in awkward ways. Many scenes that are put together don't belong right next to each other.

However, the lack of decent editing is most defiantly made up for with the terrific writing, outstanding directing, and the acting... My God the acting... If you like westerns, if you like the Usual Suspects, and if you like character driven movies.... SEE THIS DAMN MOVIE OR YOU WILL KICK YOURSELF IN THE ASS LATER!

This is a really awful movie.

[Low_Rent · 1/10 · 22 January 2016]

I can see why Ryan Phillippe's career has stalled, his acting is horrible in this movie. I feel bad for Benicio Del Toro because is a a really good actor in a really bad movie.

The dialogue is terrible. It seems the writer is trying to emulate the verbal minutiae of movies like Pulp Fiction but it comes off as just babbling. There is no cleverness to the exchange between characters.

The actions of the characters are odd in the sense that many of the things they do don't seem to further the plot or character development. Violence for violence sake so to speak.

Just avoid this turd of a movie.

My favorite movie of all time

[MrDrieco · 10/10 · 30 October 2004]

"The Way of the Gun" to some people may just be an action piece puddled up by drama and really REAL issues like Redemption, Consequences, Trust and the differences between Bad and evil. I think it may be the purest form of a perfect action drama.

McQ makes the world its set even more realistic by making you quite unsure who the good guys are...in actuality there really aren't any...everyone here has done something unscrupulous at one time or another...the only ones who have embraced their "bad" are the two characters we follow: Parker and Longbaugh(brilliantly remade characters based on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).

McQ makes us see the story through their eyes(Mainly Parkers played by Ryan Phillippe) They are both Butch and Sundance in a more real underplayed way.

But they don't fool themselves about who they are and trick you into believing they are someone else(Good or holsom). They are the perfect guides into this world of shadiness, lies on top of lies and secrets. Lucus used the same technique in Star Wars A New Hope by having a story take place through the eyes of two inconsequential characters(R2 D2 and C3PO). A trick he picked up from the great Akira Kirowsawa.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

The story of a woman becoming a surrogate mother for money to help out her aging criminal father(THE BAGMAN) and in turn finding love from the son of the very same man paying her is like...whew! It could be easily told through the eyes of the daughter or the doctor(Who McQ has said is the real hero of the story). But we see it through Benicio and Ryan. And its great.

Their chemistry is terrific. Their almost secret way of communication through glances, cryptic phrases and extreme situational teaching(Mainly Longbaugh teaching Parker never to trust anybody by setting Parker up to get killed a couple times:GUN IN DOCTOR PAINTER'S BAG & SHOTGUN IN THE HOTEL ROOM) They know each other so well they don't even have to say anything. That comes across on screen.

Benicio Del Torro owns his role and plays it so low key. There are scenes where he says nothing at all and conveys any and every emotion. This is one of Phillipe's better films, a best personally seeing as I wasn't a fan before this. After which case I was on a soap box shouting that he would have been great as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels. James Caan is....James Caan...in a role I think must have been written for him...cool aging badass. Taye Diggs...though I hate him...is great in the film because this is one of the only times he doesn't play "Taye Diggs". He turns his warm sex symbol persona on its ear by playing a man of real menace in apathy.

And for those who have read long enough about me droning on about this films hidden dramatic elements...the action scenes are great. Some of the most realistic gunfights I have ever scene. Actors were all Navy Seal trained and took it almost too seriously.(Listen to the DVD commentary when McQ talks about Taye Diggs persistent on how he run down an alley with a shotgun in the correct hand or how the actors never put their finger on the trigger unless they were shooting.) The final gun battle goes down for me as one the greatest of all time set eerily in similar surroundings as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" I dare you to find a better shoot out.

McQ and a Mr Tarantino fella are how got into writing. And McQ has some of the funniest and cool-as-hell one liners in this flick. Almost better than his previous film Usual Suspects. Watch The Way of the Gun and you will truly be seeing a hidden masterpiece.

Well cast and well directed, but well paced? Fuhgeddaboudit!

[boondocksaint20 · 7/10 · 23 November 2002]

This is one of those films that I like and I loathe, and I'll try to explain it why. Get ready...

First off, what I love about this movie.

I love all of the actors especially Phillippe and Del Toro who turn in excellent performances as our two anti-hero protagonists, and of course, James Caan is the usual cool as ice character he normally plays. Nicky Katt and Taye Diggs were simply awesome as the homicidal bodyguards who mostly let their actions speak louder than their words. I love the directing, Christopher McQuarrie, the writer of The Usual Suspects, one of the best movies of all time, takes the helm as a first time director and does a remarkable job. The gunfight at the end has some of the most impressive editing I have ever seen, and the whole movie is shot very well, especially for a first time director. Speaking of the gunfights, I have to admit this, though I absolutely loved the psychological mind tricks of The Usual Suspects, and though this one has a few, somewhat sophomorish in comparison plot twists as well, what suckered me into buying this one after seeing it in the theaters were the intense and realistic gunfights. Realistic as in there aren't any superhero a la Ahnold scenes where our heroes simply mow down the 'bad' guys, our heroes get pretty shot up during the course of the film, and especially in the end where Ryan Phillippe finds a nasty surprise after he vaults into an empty fountain. Also, I was amazed at how accurate the filmmakers were with the authenicity of the guns themselves. First off, there was no editing for the noises, those loud bangs you hear are the actual gunshots fired in real time by the actors. I remember seeing this in the crappy college theater a few years ago...the gunshots literally shook the theater...I'm not kidding, they would make you jump out of your seat, which to me is incredible. That kind of authentic detail is what really sold me into buying this movie, and plus, these guys carry Colt 1911 .45's, which each can hold a clip of 7 rounds...during the gunfights, they reload constantly, and you can count shot for shot, the 7 bullets almost everytime (except for one scene where Benicio is laying on the ground after being shot...minor gripe if anything), call me fastidious or obsessed with detail, but this was one of the few actioners that had gunfights that didn't have me groaning at some huge Hollywood inaccuracy. You can tell the actors had fun 'shooting' (no pun intended!) these scenes, and the sound is incredible.

Okay, those were the good points of the film, now onto the reasons why I can't give this one an 8 or a 9 rating.

I can sum up my biggest complaint with this movie in one word. Pacing. Pacing, or lack there of. The beginning and end are very exciting, it's just that the middle 45 minutes or so can simply drag on and on. There are times where the actors are speaking, and there is too much 'think' time and idle pauses to truly get involved with the scene. I know some people don't mind this, but it drove me insane, I mean the film is around 2 hours, but it really feels like a 3 hour movie. They could have trimmed this one to 90 minutes, and it still could have been a good movie. You'll know exactly what I'm talking about if you watch this one...you'll go from one exciting gunfight to a scene where two characters are overanalyzing the plot and talking at their leisure about their view on the situation. Also, there are scenes that make their point within the first 10 seconds, but drag on, with the same camera frame focused on the same character, usually just sitting there staring into the distance (like that freaky scene with the trophy wife staring at the ultra sound for like 5 minutes). It is well directed, just poorly edited, which really kills the momentum of this flick. The Usual Suspects had a wonderfully brilliant storyline that threw the viewer into a million twists and turns, yet, at a very exciting pace. The Way of the Gun is similar, in this respect, yet, it will drag on and on and on until you feel like screaming at the TV, enough already!

Like The Usual Suspects, McQuarrie provides many plot twists and turns, however he kind of goes overkill. I mean, after a couple of viewings, I understand the whole plot, but to me, it is not really 'brilliant'. We find out these plot twists not through intuition or a keen eye, but through the character's discussions, which last at least half of the movie, and often have a bunch of pointless filler. I could tell some scenes (such as when they are playing hearts and Del Toro is explaining the rules of the game...which is supposed to be symbolic of the situation) were trying too hard to be inteligent or have a hidden meaning. Also, in the beginning, we are treated to a series of scenes which sure as heck reminded me, and others as I've read the reviews, as another Pulp Fiction type movie. I'm sorry, but the beginning screams of Pulp Fiction...the witty dialogue, the over the top violence in the beginning, the absolutely funny one-liners given at the sperm bank...hey, don't get me wrong, I loved this part of the movie, yet it is so out of place and is misleading to the viewer. I'd say the movie is wonderful up until the kidnappers leave the gas station after seeing the doctor (who by the way is a really bad actor). From there, you have about a 45 minute lull that is interesting at times, but will bore you to death at others, especially considering the great action in the beginning...you have to endure these 45 minutes in order to be rewarded with the other great action scenes at the end. It's these 45 minutes or so that makes this one a hard choice for repeated viewings, and makes great use of the 'skip chapter' button on the dvd remote, at least once you understand the plot of the movie, which may take a few viewings to get. Oh and btw, if you can't stand pregnancy scenes, just like I can't stand them, this is not the movie for you. The scenes with Juliette Lewis are very graphic and a little too realistic. Once again, bad editing is to blame...watching a pregnant woman scream in pain for 5 minutes at a time is simply unpleasant to watch...we get the point after the first 5 seconds!

Okay, so I've listed the good and the bad (the ugly is probably in there too somewhere...) of this movie...for me I usually love or hate a film, this one is truly a black sheep to me, which is why I wrote an equally balanced review. But, I must say, the good qualities do outweigh the bad ones, or why would I have bought the dvd? This is a movie that not everyone will like, but is good to watch alone or with another movie buff. It does make you think on some level, but don't expect another outing of The Usual Suspects...this one really tries too hard to be 'smart' and at times, 'hip'. But, it has some really impressive acting, great characters and action scenes that rival The Wild Bunch. Speaking of that movie, you can tell that this one is a tribute or a copy to Sam Peckinpah's anti-hero western shoot-em-up. Our 'heroes', Parker and Longbaugh simply have no desire to live and go for an all or nothing heist which goes terribly wrong (I love the line where Del Toro tells James Caan as they are having coffee that 'I don't think this is a brains sort of operation'), but they end up being, ironically, the most 'good' of all of the other characters (everyone is some sort of criminal or an up-to-no-gooder). All in all, not a bad film, just like others have said, this could have been a great film which is why this review is so hard to write and is so torn between sides. Like it or loathe it, this one will entertain you pretty well, just make sure that you keep the fast forward button primed and ready during the slow scenes, unless you haven't seen it before and want to understand the complex plot, which by the way, had me scratching my head the entire time during my first viewing. Now that I understand it though, it isn't exactly a life altering experience, though. Anyways, watch this one for the acting and the action...I'd love to give this one a high rating, but I just can't...the editing is absolutely horrible. That is my story, and I'm sticking to it. 6/10 stars

A pointless, violent pig flick

[wavecat13 · 2/10 · 27 March 2020]

The Usual Suspects, which McQuarrie wrote, is one of the all time great crime thrillers, so I was curious to see what else he has done, but this here neo-noir is a real pig. It is a pointless, violent flick in which pretty much every character is rotten and despicable down to the bone. OK, maybe Caan's and Lewis's characters have some redeeming qualities. But there is no one and nothing to root for. The story is silly (a screwball surrogate mom to a rich, corrupt couple gets willingly kidnapped by a couple of worthless losers/creeps, who are the heroes of the story) and much of what goes down is cliched and totally unbelievable. I wanted to be sanitized from head to toe after watching this.