Smokin' Aces

It's awfully late in the game to try to out-Tarantino Tarantino, but that's what Joe Carnahan attempts in this visually flashy, supposedly hip, but totally vacuous action comedy. The plot, which tries to meld wiseguy shoot-'em-up with a The Usual Suspects-style concluding twist, centers on Las Vegas entertainer and Mafia made man Buddy “Aces” Israel (Jeremy Piven), who is in trouble with the big boss and turns informer. When an FBI surveillance team overhears mob henchmen talking about hiring killers to rip out Buddy's heart, they lurch into defensive mode. But the game's already afoot, and while Buddy goes gonzo with drugs and broads in his Lake Tahoe penthouse suite, a bevy of hired killers compete to take him out—among them, a trio of bounty hunters, two hardboiled lesbian black chicks, and three spaced-out skinheads. The various shooters invade the hotel where Buddy's holed up, and meet his bodyguards, the security staff, and the feds, after which all hell breaks loose as Smokin' Aces quickly devolves into a stultifying chain of gun battles and ineffectually flip dialogue. You have to be impressed by the huge cast of well-known actors (including Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, and Ray Liotta), but nobody comes off well in this movie that's all sizzle and no steak. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one with writer-director Joe Carnahan and editor Robert Frazen; the other with Carnahan and costars Common, Christopher Holley, and Zach Cumer), “The Line Up” character profiles featurette (14 min.), a 12-minute “The Big Gun” behind-the-scenes featurette, a “Shoot Em' Up: Stunts & Effects” featurette (5 min.), four deleted-extended scenes (10 min.), outtakes (10 min.), the brief “Cowboy” alternate ending, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a derivative flick.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—Jan. 19, 2010—Universal, 109 min., R, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2007's Smokin' Aces sports a great transfer and a 5.1 DTS-HD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras are nearly identical to the previous DVD release, including two audio commentaries (one with writer-director Joe Carnahan and editor Robert Frazen; the other with Carnahan and costars Common, Christopher Holley, and Zach Cumer), “The Line Up” character profiles (14 min.), “The Big Gun” behind-the-scenes featurette (12 min.), a “Shoot Em' Up: Stunts & Effects” featurette (5 min.), four deleted-extended scenes (10 min.), outtakes (10 min.), the brief “Cowboy” alternate ending, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a picture-in-picture track with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, an “Assassin Tracker” which allows access to Google Maps to track the assassins to Reno, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a fine extras package film that's all style and no substance.]