This is topic Knockaround Guys in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-24-2002, 04:30 AM:
So this movie has apparently been sitting on the shelf awaiting release for a year now. Hmmmm, I knew why going into it, and now I have just proven myself correct.Not even Dennis Hopper and John Malkovich can save this movie from the impending doom that Vin Diesel provides to it. Yes that's right, big surprise, Vin Diesel sucked in this one too, just like he sucks in every other movie he is in. Yes indeedy, Vin Diesel sucked sucked sucked!
Ok, so I'm just having a bit of fun there, but I just couldn't pass that one up (especially with Mike Schindler on the forums). 
Seriously, the movie is fair to decent. Not great, not terrible, but decent. Amazingly though it was really slow paced, even though the run time is about 90 minutes. The acting wasn't great from anyone, but wasn't particularly bad from anyone either. That being said, Vin Diesel actually didn't do too bad of a job in this one, but then again his sole purpose for being in this film was to beat up some other guys and stand there looking menacing, which he did acceptably. Unfortunately the movie wasn't good enough for my mind to not wander to other things on the screen. During that time I have figured out why Vin always has his head shaved. It's not so he can look like a bad ass. Pay close attention to some of the better lit scenes. Vin is losing his hair and has a seriously receding hair line.
The script is lame, although I'll bet the writers were thinking they really had one hell of a great story to tell. (Sorry guys, it just didn't transfer to the screen well.) The directing was ok, but nothing special. At least it was scope!
I'll nitpick at one scene and then let it go. Sure this is a spoiler, but I don't think it will detract from whatever enjoyment of the movie you will get from it. There is a scene where the "knockaround guys" are trying to figure out how to get their money back. Of course Vin Diesel can only come up with one idea, to find that one tough fella who "runs the town" and beat the crap out of him. (Betcha didn't see that one coming, did ya?) His specific idea is to give him the beating of his life, that is far worse than any beating that guy has ever given to anyone else before. His theory is that he will scare the fellow and get him to do their dirty sleuthing. (See kids, violence DOES solve problems!) Basically the way Vin is setting up the scene, this "beating" should leave the guy very close to death. So when the scene comes up, how long does it last? About a minute. Yup, about a minute. All Vin does is punch him in the gut and face a few times and then Matty threatens the guy. A bit lame there. They could've sped up the editing for the rest of the movie and let Vin pound on this guy for an entire reel. It would've made the movie more interesting.
Anyway, should you see it in theaters? Wait for the DVD? Wait for cable? Wait for network tv? Or not even bother? If you like the cast, I suppose I'd say go for the DVD. This is certainly a movie that can be missed in theaters.
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 10-13-2002, 05:49 PM:
10/13/2002, 12:15PM, Regal Cinema World 8, Eugene OR, #3, digital sound. Very good presentation, no complaints**, print really looked good. Attendance only about 15.I knew nothing about this going in, and I had low expectations. Surprisingly, I liked it. Oh yeah, it has some script problems, and that beating that Brad mentioned was kind of lame after Vin Diesel's big advance buildup, but overall the story and the main characters were interesting enough to make this worthwhile for me. I too noticed the slow pacing and I kind of liked it, along with the fact that the running time is short. I will note that the John Malkovich and Dennis Hopper roles were kind of a waste of their talents (especially Hopper).
** EDIT Brad said
quote:
WARNING - do NOT cut off ID frames on the tail of reel 2 or the head of reel 3. You will end up missing a short sentence of dialogue.
Apparently this exact thing occurred at this Regal theater. The first couple syllables of dialog were missing at that reel change splice.
Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 10-14-2002, 01:39 AM:
I saw this tonight and I liked, I didnt love it but it was ok for the price 
(Free). I think that they could have done a little better with the plot but it was ok.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 10-23-2002, 06:56 PM:
AMC Hamilton 24, 10/19, 5:45 PM show. Turnout around 25 in a hall that seats 100 or so.Vin Diesel was good as always. The rest of this movie was 
How plausible can it be to have La Cosa Nostra vs. Backwoods Rednecks in some Montana town?
Presentation on this one was too. Dirt in every rolling stock advert, dirt in every trailer, dirt in every reel of the feature. To top it off, after the "Feature Presentation" snipe I got to see the fadeout on the attached trailer (Friday After Next) before the New Line logo faded in. The booth jockeys didn't look too closely before splicing the trailer. At least the SDDS sound mix was good.
BTW, did anyone else spot the World Trade Center in one scene early on?