2 Guns

Fresh from chilling audiences to the core with austere true-life drama The Deep, director Baltasar Kormákur turns up the heat and lays on the froth in 2 Guns, a retro buddy action caper which makes the most of its stars’ easy charisma.

Bobby Trench (Washington) and Michael Stigman (Wahlberg) are mid-level crooks with connections to Mexican druglord Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). What neither is aware of is the other’s undercover law enforcement status (Trench is DEA, Stigman is Naval Intelligence) and remit to bring Papi to justice. When Trench instigates a robbery of the kingpin’s bank to prove his financial chicanery, the pair tumble into a conspiracy involving their paymasters and shady spook Earl (a superb Bill Paxton).

Despite offering nothing original (there’s buckets of Walter Hill in here), Kormákur’s fun, twisty-if-predictable yarn retains interest with a quickfire script of often inspired gags, a nifty pace and amiable performances. Wahlberg in particular delights with his patented kooky tough guy schtick; Washington puts more effort than usual into his ice-cool wise-ass.