There are movies that everyone must see, the ones so important they become a vital part of our culture and, eventually, our identity. "2 Guns" (2013) is not one of those movies. If you happen to never see it, you won't be missing anything monumental and you can go on with your life, ignorant to whatever content it contains. However, I will say that you might miss out on a fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
"2 Guns" begins with a literal bang, as low-life criminals Michael Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) and Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) blow up a diner in an attempt to rob a powerful drug lord (Edward James Olmos). Yet in the first of many twists in "2 Guns," Stigman and Trench are actually undercover agents who, unbeknownst to them, are working toward the same goal. After they rob the bank, the two men realize the money they stole belonged to the CIA and are hunted down by a psychopathic and amoral agent (Bill Paxton). Together, they team up to clear their names.
In the summer movie season, August is typically a slow month. All the tent poles have come and taken the money of many a moviegoer. When I saw the trailer for "2 Guns" a few months ago, I thought to myself, "Yep, that looks like an August movie." To be honest, I had no idea why Washington and Wahlberg wanted to do what looked like a derivative action flick about double-crossing and shady government agents. It turns out I was right: "2 Guns" is about that and not much else.
But there's a certain magic to the film that makes it not only bearable but pleasant to watch. For starters, all of the characters except Trench and Stigman are bad guys. Ancillary characters have something to do aside from just chewing scenery for 90 minutes, and the movie gives a whole new dimension to the "us vs. the world" dynamic.
Also of note is the fact that "2 Guns" doesn't give any grand lectures on racial discourse like "Rush Hour" (1998) or "Lethal Weapon" (1987). Yes, Wahlberg is white and Washington is black, but in a refreshing change of pace, the film doesn't care and neither should you. If there are any differences, it's in their personal styles and much of the film's banter focuses on that aspect of Stigman and Trench's relationship.
Which brings me to the lead actors' relationship. Though he hasn't gone full Liam Neeson, Washington has appeared in many action films in the past few years. Unlike Neeson's full-on physical brutality, Washington's calm and suave demeanor has always enabled his characters to gracefully command the screen before scaring you into submission when things get rough.
Wahlberg, on the other hand, seems to play the same character in every film, but it suits him most of the time, and "2 Guns" is no exception. The two actors riff off each other as if they were old friends, harkening back to a partnership much like Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh from the "Lethal Weapon" series.
You don't really get a sense of how fun a movie it is until the real absurdity begins. This includes, but isn't limited to, breaking into an Army base, evading a team of trained Navy assassins and Trench avoiding losing his cojones in one twisted game of Russian roulette. The crowning achievement is Trench's almost God-like command to "make it rain" as he blows up a muscle car packed to the brim with money. It's stupid, dumb and a hell of a ride.
Rating: 7.8/10 "2 Guns" is currently playing at the Nugget.
