Knockaround Guys

Written and directed by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, Knockaround Guys is a dark comedy about the obsolescence of the Mafia, starring Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Seth Green, and Andrew Davoli as wannabe mob men who are really little more than glorified errand boys. If they'd been born a generation earlier and followed the rules, they could have become respected crime figures like Pepper's "Uncle Teddy" (John Malkovich) or Benny Chains (Dennis Hopper). But today, Senate hearings, betrayals, and “feelings” have destroyed the old concepts of The Family, and when the four knockaround guys botch a major job in Wibaux, Montana, they realize how isolated their Brooklyn lives are from the real world. Somewhere there's a superior movie to be made here about the culture clash between Big Sky individualism and Cosa Nostra communalism, but while Koppelman and Levien salt their fish-out-of-water story with the same effective gangster argot they brought to Rounders, they never properly develop either the Brooklyn or Montana settings, stranding their colorful characters in ill-defined locations. Incidentally, Knockaround Guys was knocked around New Line's schedule until Hollywood anointed Vin Diesel an action star, which explains why this 2001 film didn't arrive in theaters until 2002. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include an “All Access Pass” that contains filmmaker commentary by co-writers-directors-producers Brian Koppelman and David Levien, four alternate/deleted scenes with optional commentary (11 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a so-so film.] (D. Fienberg)