Smokin' Aces

writer/director Joe Carnahan blew critics and audiences away in 2002 with Narc, a gritty and dark cop drama/thriller. with Smokin' Aces, he blows up the world. Pete Hammond calls it "...Oceans 11 meets Pulp Fiction and sooooo much more." i wouldn't disagree. however, i say it's Ocean's 11, The Wild Bunch, Scarface, Pulp Fiction, Domino, Goodfellas, and Man On Fire thrown into a blender with Tobasco Sauce and Jack Daniels. the characters are twisted, the action doesn't stop, the laughs hit hard, and the bullets hit harder. the cast is great. Alicia Keys, Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liota, Peter Berg, Common, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, and Jeremy Piven as Buddy "Aces" Israel bring their A game in this film that is off the chains. warning! Smokin Aces is rated R, even in Canada (actually 18 A in Canada. but that means violence. for some reason nudity and sex doesn't bother the Canadian ratings folks, but violence does) and for good reason. get a baby sitter, or do not see it if you don't like violent movies or some of the stories in the Old Testament. i loved it. i don't know if that means i'm out to lunch, or i can appreciate different styles of art. i give this film all four aces in the deck.