Rating: Summary: Absolutely Loved It! Review: I was going to see this movie no matter what the critics said. I needed my Vin Diesel fix! I bought Boiler Room, Fast and the Furious and Pitch Black (I am not a fan of Sci fi) just to see Vin's face. I had made up my mind as soon as I saw the trailer from the XXX showing that I was counting the days until October 11th. Diesel is definitely the reason I went to see it. The reason I loved it, because the characters had depth and you watched as the test of true friendship prevailed. Diesel was Peppers TRUE friend to the end. I loved seeing Vin put the big mouths in their place without even raising his voice! As soon as they introduced Taylor I was hooked and left the movie saying, "I want to see it again and I definitely want it when it comes out on DVD"...
Rating: Summary: Great acting, good story... Review: Meet Matty, he just wants his father to realize that he is very capable of doing the family business. When a friend messes up a job, Matty does his best to fix it. But everything gets worse. The story is good, but something seems to be missing. Acting is excellent though. John Malkovich remains amazing. But the actor getting a best supporting award in this film is Vind Diesel. He still looks like he is ready to beat everyone up, which he does once in this movie--but he is much more subdued than usual. Yes it is a nice changed of pace. R: Brief drug use, language, and violence. (The violence is surprisingly more tame than one might expect.)
Rating: Summary: Really fun, exciting flick Review: I really enjoyed the movie. It is cool: many lines that I wish I could use in real life without getting the stinky kicked out of me. Not such a violent movie as to get in the way of a good plot. Great entertainment. (P.S. My wife liked it just as much!)
Rating: Summary: Knockaround This Review: Thanks to the below fans explaining why they think this movie came out now - Vin Diesel. I can see no other reason other than Hollywood trying to rape America for some more $$cash$$. This film is terrible. Leading boy Barry Pepper comes across as a Giovanni Ribisi wanna-be and badly succeeds as a pale Pony Boy Ralph Macchio. His blond hair can be seen growing out of the bad black dye job; as Seth Green's red also shines through. Speaking of Seth Green, he struggles his way through the whole mess, not sure what the hell he is doing there. Surely misses his daddy, Dr. Evil, to hold him up on the big screen. Seems to be playing the part that Max Perlich played (the pilot) in Blow. Lets talk about Vin Diesel, yes this movie definitely is trying to ride on his shoulders and sadly, probably will. Was in Saving Private Ryan with Pepper; also was in Boiler Room with Ribisi. Is there a coincidence here? Someone got it mixed up at the casting call. Regardless, his best movie is still Iron Giant. XXX? What the heck was that boat-thing that climaxed that movie? Mixed up casting? Definitely. Check out John Malkovich. He's supposed to be a Goodfella from Brooklyn in this film. Instead he does an atrocious job playing Teddy KGB playing Christopher Walken playing Vicenzo Coccoti, the guy who executes Dennis Hopper in True Romance. His accent changes back and forth several times. Noting Dennis Hopper, this guy has almost 100 movies under his belt, he should've passed on this trash. He plays the Star's Daddy again and even though he's a Goodfella, he has no idea that his lieutenants are playing him. Lastly, the WTC/Twin Towers makes a guest appearance, dating this flick. Lets us know that the mold and mildew were gathering and thanks to Vin Diesel, hair dye will make anyone a Goodfella. I won't give anymore than that away, but don't waste your 90-odd minutes on this one. I lost $5.50 at admission also, I'd rather have gave it to a junkie washing my windshield with his newspaper. Cheers!
Rating: Summary: Surprisingly Captivating Review: Okay, I'll admit it: My best friend and I went to see this movie only because of Vin Diesel. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I found myself pretty caught up in the film. I cared about the characters a lot more than I expected to, given the lousy reviews I've heard lately. Yeah, okay, so there was a dud line or two, but overall, the dialogue was pretty convincing. I've seen worse lately (um, the second half of xXx maybe?). The biggest shock to me personally was how much better the younger member of the cast (Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel) were than the older members (Dennis Hopper, John Malkovich). If this is the talent we have to look forward to in the next few years, movies are just going to get better and better. If you're looking for a great date movie, this might just be it. There's enough eye candy for the girls and enough action and violence for the guys. If you don't want to spend the $$$$ for the big screen, at least give "Knockaround Guys" a look when it comes out on DVD.
Rating: Summary: Should KNOCKAROUND the competition... Review: Knockaround Guys is, to me, an instant classic. It's up there with TRUE ROMANCE and ROAD TO PERDITION - though at times it feels a little more like STAND BY ME with mobsters than your usual post-Tarantino noir. Don't be fooled by the SNATCH-like ad campaign. Although SNATCH and KNOCKAROUND GUYS both involve some bumbling criminals, KNOCKAROUND GUYS is much less comical (though still very funny at times) in its portrayal, and will probably turn off most of Vin Diesel's FAST AND THE FURIOUS crowd. It is an infinitely smarter and more emotional film than Vin's previous efforts. The plot revolves around Berry Pepper's character, the son of underboss Dennis Hopper, who is trying to break free of his family name and become a legitimate sports agent. His efforts are in vain, however, and in the end, he thinks that the only way he can be respected is to work for his father. With the help of his uncle, John Malkovich, he convinces his father to give him a shot. Unfortunately, one of Pepper's less reliable friends (Seth Green) throws a rather large wrench in the gears and unintentionally wreaks havoc in Pepper's life. Pepper, Green, Vin Diesel, and Andrew Davoli head into a small hick town to straighten things up, but the chaos only escalates. The cast is brilliantly assembled. The always likable Berry Pepper receives what is perhaps his best role, and Vin Diesel manages to rise above his Rob Cohen taint and shine in one of the film's more standout performances. Seth Green plays a sympathetic loser surprisingly well (provided you can forget he ever appeared in RAT RACE), and newcomer Andrew Davoli takes a memorable turn as the playboy of the bunch. We haven't seen Tom Noonan have this much fun with a villainous role since he was the Nuke-addicted heavy in ROBOCOP 2. On top of that, veteran performers John Malkovich and Dennis Hopper help solidify things. Aside from a stellar cast, the script is well-written, the music is well-chosen (in a complete contrast to THE TRANSPORTER), and there's never a dull moment. This is a modern look at the gangster film genre, and treats the material as such. There's never a scene in which somebody gets gunned down to the mellow sounds of Luciano Poveratti (thank goodness), so it's clearly not the stereotypical stuff. KNOCKAROUND GUYS has heart, but it also has enough brutality and levity to keep you interested. In short, I loved this movie.
Rating: Summary: Just A Good Flick Review: In the spirit of movies like "Payback" - "Knockaround Guys" is certainly worth a trip to the theater. After seeing the trailer, one would think Vin Diesel has the lead role in this film - not the case. Barry Pepper plays the lead role and does so very well. This is a film without a complex plot or compelling character archs, but what it does have is a great cast delivering fantastic dialogue in a situation that never fails to be compelling. If you're looking for a flick that you can sit back and enjoy - I suggest you see it. It's worth your [money].
Rating: Summary: A disappointing film with a talented cast Review: Matty Demaret is always living in his father's shadow. The guy just cannot seem to get a break, as soon as the name Benny Demaret is mentioned during his job interview, he is automatically turned away in fear of being associated with the son of one of Brooklyn's notorious mobster. Since legitimate employment is out of the question, Matty decides to prove himself to his father that he is ready to take on more responsibilities in the family business. After much convincing and an endorsement from uncle Teddy, Benny finally agrees to let one of Matty's friends, Marbles, to pick up an important item for him. Unfortunately, simple task never seems to go smoothly, and Marbles loses the bag in a small town during a brief stop. Not wanting to disappoint his father, Matty flies out to meet Marbles to try to recover the article, but soon realizes that he is in way over his head. A glance at the cast list might give you enough reason to see Knockaround Guys, but don't let that fool you, because even with some of the most talented actors in Hollywood, the film is mediocre at best. Barry Pepper turns in a passable performance with his portrayal of Matty, but it pales in comparison to his previous works in Saving Private Ryan and even The Green Mile. Seth Green provides the much needed comic relief as Marbles, while Vin Diesel does what he do best, by playing the tough and muscular street fighter Taylor. Dennis Hopper's bit role as Benny is pretty underwhelming, not to mention John Malkovich's unconvincing part as uncle Teddy. These characters are shallow and underdeveloped, which does not help in the believability of their relationships with each other. If the audiences have trouble relating to the on screen personas, it becomes difficult to actually enjoy the experience. With an uninspired script and a muddled plot, Knockaround Guys is a big disappointment considering the people who were involved in the project. It tries too hard to incorporate the many common elements found in mobster and gangster movies, which ultimately contributed to the film's lack of focus.
Rating: Summary: Not Really Interested. Review: To be fair, Vin Diesel really peaked my interest in "Saving Private Ryan," "Boiler Room," and "The Fast and the Furious." He struck me as a cocky kid who exuded undeniable stage presence and possessed a lot of potential. But after a summer of aggressive hype over "XXX" and reports of alleged diva-like behaviour, I'm not so sure if I really want to see "Knockaround Guys." This film was collecting dust for over a year until the boys at New Line saw Diesel's celebrity skyrocket. No doubt, it will do well, but the buzz has been mixed. Why else would a film be on the shelf for over a year? I can't say I would never see this movie, but for me, it looks suitable for a DVD rental, at best. For an autumn movie worth my time and money, I can probably do better with something else.
Rating: Summary: Was worth the wait Review: After about a year of being pushed back concerning box-office speculation and etc., "Knockaround Guys" is finally going to be wide-released this year. I was able to be at a pre-screening of this movie, and I enjoyed very much. Vin Diesel shines as he portrays "the tough guy". Plot needed some work, but performances were awesome. Side note: My opinion of why the movie was pushed back for so long was in anticipation of Diesel's new blockbuster "XXX". Now that Vin Diesel has made a name for himself, what once could have been a movie that grossed a modest ($$$) million, could very well hit it home with ($$$) or even ($$$) million.
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