Borrowing heavily from leftfield genre spin-offs like True Romance, it's no wonder this misfire was on the shelves for so long.
Knockaround Guys (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:97
Fresh:19
Rotten:78
Average Rating:4.3/10
Consensus: Well-acted, but it's too derivative.
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Matty (Barry Pepper) is the only son of Brooklyn mobster Benny "the Chains" (Dennis Hopper). Considered too sensitive for mob work, but unable to find a regular job, Matty finally gets a chance to... Matty (Barry Pepper) is the only son of Brooklyn mobster Benny "the Chains" (Dennis Hopper). Considered too sensitive for mob work, but unable to find a regular job, Matty finally gets a chance to join his dad's organization when he agrees to arrange transport of half a million dollars across the country. When it winds up lost in a small Montana town, Matty and his assortment of tough-guy pals (played by Andrew Davoli, Seth Green, and Vin Diesel) are forced to fly out there, tangle with the locals, and find the money before their disappointed elders come to get them, guns blazing. KNOCKAROUND GUYS features stylishly washed-out, gritty cinematography and benefits from a refreshing lack of the expected "city folk stranded in a small town" gags. Instead it's a tale of identity crisis-plagued boys blasting their blood-soaked way into manhood, with the dependable Diesel easily stealing the prize with his turn as Matty's philosophic brawler pal. John Malkovich--sporting one of the weirdest Brooklyn accents in gangster film history--is also memorable as one of the older mobsters. It's the directorial debut for the screenwriting team of Brian Koppelman and Sid Levein, who before this penned the script for ROUNDERS. [More]
Starring: Vin Diesel, Seth Green, Barry Pepper, Andrew Davoli
Starring: Vin Diesel, Seth Green, Barry Pepper, Andrew Davoli, Dennis Hopper, John Malkovich, John Liddle, Tom Noonan, Nicholas Pasco
Director: Brian Koppelman, David Levien
Director: Brian Koppelman, David Levien
Screenwriter: Brian Koppelman, David Levien
Producer: Lawrence Bender, Brian Koppelman, David Levien
Composer: Clint Mansell
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Knockaround Guys
No less stale than the many derivative crime thrillers that flood the direct-to-video market.
What sounds like a formula for freakish violence and a torrent of incessant expletives is in fact a stylish mobster film that stands out due to some very inventive casting.
Even the top ensemble case of Knockaround Guys, headed by the ever-remarkable John Malkovich and charismatic Vin Diesel, can’t jump the brick wall that the script hits in the last 20 minutes.
Diesel is excellent as a compassionate pre-XXX tough guy (the film has been on the shelf for nearly two years).
Knockaround Guys just doesn't deserve to get made, either literally or figuratively, and isn't worth the time needed to discover that this particular up-and-comer is yesterday's news.
The dialogue is almost a bit too conscious of its own wittiness and street-tough colloquialisms.
Putting the faces of hot young stars on the same old parts doesn't make the movie any fresher.
When the movie mixes the cornpone and the Cosa Nostra, it finds a nice rhythm.
Guns get drawn. Bullets fly. Blood spills. You've seen it all before.
Real gangsters often love gangster films, but it's a safe bet that Knockaround Guys won't be on their all-time hit list.
It’s mildly interesting to ponder the peculiar American style of justice that plays out here, but it’s so muddled and derivative that few will bother thinking it all through.
Fails to convince the audience that these brats will ever be anything more than losers.
This heist flick about young Brooklyn hoods is off the shelf after two years to capitalize on the popularity of Vin Diesel, Seth Green and Barry Pepper. It should have stayed there.
Un film au potentiel certain, saboté par les clichés et un montage impatient.
When it comes to Knockaround Guys, the only remotely energetic aspect of the project is the fact that characters occasionally use words with more than two syllables.
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