Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining and slightly different gangster film.
Review: In the "Knockaround Guys," Matty Dermaret (Barry Pepper) is the son of infamous mobster Benny Chain (Dennis Hopper). Matty tries to establish an honest life, but when he's turned down for a yet another job thanks to his known mob connections, Matty decides to ask dad and Uncle Teddy (John Malkovich) for a job in the family business interests. Matty passes on the favour to his friends--all childhood friends Matty knows through his mob connections. Soon, Johnny Marbles (Seth Green) is flying a plane across country with a bag full of cash--$500,000 to be exact.Unfortunately, Marbles, who isn't exactly a model of grace under pressure, is separated from the bag in Montana, and soon Matty has some fast explaining to do. Matty--along with his friends Johnny Marbles, Chris Scarpa (Andrew Davoli), and Taylor Reese (Vin Diesel) descend on the tiny remote Montana town with the plan to get the money back before Benny Chain is held responsible for its loss. I really enjoyed this film. I like gangster films, but I find that most of them seem heavy on violence and light on the plot, logic, and acting. One very fresh approach this film used was to stress the Italian mobsters at work in the Montana town. Some of the very best scenes occurred when Matty and his friends stumped by the seeming disappearance of the money, slowly and methodically devise a plan to rattle the natives. The natives' response to the 'tough guys' is also a good part of this film. Matty and his friends are used to a certain amount of infamy and privilege that opens doors for them--how this translates to the barren, cowboy landscape of Montana is another matter. Matty and his friends are rather a motley bunch--they lack the credibility--with the exception of Taylor Reese (Vin Diesel)--and downright rottenness that their parents cultivated. Incidentally, the role of Taylor Reese is a good one for Vin Diesel--as an actor, Vin Diesel is a lot more than muscle and tattoos. 'Pitch Black' and 'Boiler Room' showcased the sort of performances Vin Diesel is capable of, and I was pleased to see him in a role that allowed for another excellent performance--displacedhuman--Amazon Reviewer.
Rating:
Summary: The "Mob" Squad
Review: Knockaround Guys is a better film than its theatrical run made it out to be. It may be classified as a "mob" movie, but it is a mob film, that thinks outside the box too. Matt Demaret (Barry Pepper), while trying to win favor with his crime boss father (Dennis Hopper), he and a buddy, misplace a bag with a load of the mob's money. Now, the race is on to find the cash in a midwestern town, before the authorities find it. Matt and his pals race to retrieve the dough, as things get out of contol, help from an unexpected source arrives to further complicate matters. Written and directed by first timers, David Levien and Brian Koppelman, the film has a cool cast. Not only does it have Hopper and Pepper, but it also boasts the likes of John Malkovich, Seth Green, and Vin Diesel too. The performances are top notch. The biggest surprises though come from Green (mostly known for comedies) and action star Vin Diesel. Both of whom, prove that they are capable, of doing more. The film's twists and turns are not always easy to figure out--a true Hollywood rarity-this is especially true of most of flicks made in the last few years. The film works on all levels Best of all though, the characters are multi-faceted, and also a lot of fun to get to know. The DVD features a handfull of enjoyable extras. The commentary track from Levien and Koppelman is informative and entertaining. There are also a few deleted/extended scenes. These can be viewed with or without commentary from the directing team. Those with a DVD-ROM drive on their PC can access the film's website and a "script-to-screen" function The film's theatrical trailer (along with those for newly released or upcoming flicks.) tops off the disc's extras. Viewers can choose to watch the film in either widescreen or fullframe formats. The Knockaround Guys DVD is recommended for rental or purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie and Great cast!
Review: This was one of the few movies I have seen this year that was REALLY good! Great story, Great Acting, Unbelievable cast!
Dennis Hopper is great and John Malkovich is creepy as usual,
Vin Diesel plays the tough guy(big surprise)and barry Pepper is way better than usual.
This movie is definitely worth buying in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: A Kick ... movie
Review: This movie takes you into a world in which a Mafia boss' son is sent to retrieve some "protection" money and all hell breaks loose in a small town when the money is lost there.This movie keeps you interested throughout and has a great cast.Its shocking right until the end.Vin Diesil plays the knockaround guy perfectly and an all and all great movie.If you liked Godfather and such check this out.And if you didn't like the over done mafianess of Godfather then this is perfect for ya.Great movie check it out.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS IS NO MAFIA MOVIE
Review: First off this is a hollywood movie that wants to make quick money of big stars that should not be doing gangster movies, Dennis Hooper, John M, are not gangster role material, Vin is money maker for action films, Seth is a comic star, Barry is a drama or action co star, IF YOU WANT TO SEE A BETTER MOVIE THEN CHECK OUT "WANNABES" this is an ok movie for a bunch of guys shooting guys but thats it it is noway in the league of "Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino, Meanstreets, or Scarface"
RENT IT DONT BUY IT
Rating:
Summary: Average movie.
Review: This is an average movie. Its okay, if you need some good entertainment, get this movie because its good. 7.5/10
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie Ever!
Review: Knockaround Guys is a classic movie about the mob. I think all the actors in it were great! I bought it the first day it came out and I've been hooked ever since. I would say that this is a great movie to see. That is if you can stand those kinda movies...and if your older enough to see it.
Rating:
Summary: A real KnockOut
Review: To make a good movie, you must be able to put all the elements of film together. Knockaround Guys had them and more. This was a very interesting look at the Mob, which in my opinion differs from many other people. It's a side that I have never seen from the Mob before, but of course I haven't seen a lot of Mob movies. The characters were dynamic and had some life to them, which is a must. Barry Pepper did a brilliant job as a Mob Boss's semi exiled son. John Malchovich was not terrible by any means, which is another opinion that I have that many others do not agree with. He had a sort of swagger to him and power that really made him fascinating to watch. The movie definitely wasn't about Vin Diesel and I didn't expect it to be about him, and I really didn't want it to either. Maybe this wasn't Vin's blockbuster role, but it was quite effective. He was a little stiff, but it by no means lessened the quality of the movie. Seth Green was the comedic relief, but he wasn't overbearing, which is good. Dennis Hopper was worthless however, and I could have done without him. He brought no spark to his character and that aspect of the movie left me out in the cold. The directing was fantastic and the music really added to the movie superbly. Many film directors do not think music is an important part of a movie, but it really is. It sets the mood, and the music chosen for Knockaround Guys was perfect. Knockaround Guys was a stylish and quite savvy movie that I highly recommend. 5 Stars
Rating:
Summary: great film
Review: Knockaround Guys didn't spend much time in the theaters (at least not around here), but it is a movie I wanted to see badly. And it doesn't disappoint. Barry Pepper gives a great performance. Vin Diesel actually acts in this movie, rather than just relying on his size and 'action-hero' status. Seth Green's performance is uneven, but more often than not he plays his role (as an unlikeable guy) very well. Dennis Hopper plays Benny Chains, the mob underboss. There's nothing spectacular about his performance, but it is solid. John Malkovich is brilliant, even if his accent is not. Tom Noonan is the breakout star here. He plays his role as a crooked sherrif great (and very dark). This is Brian Koppelman and David Levien's first time at directing, and they also wrote the film (Lawrence Bender produced it). All in all, it is a pretty good movie. Well worth seeing. It's a mafia movie that is both what we expect and something new. The dvd contains a handful of deleted/alternate scenes (with and without commentary) and an insightful commentary track by the directors.
Rating:
Summary: Not as bad as you might expect...
Review: Ok- I admit it- I only saw this because I wanted to oggle all the attractive young men in Armani! After reading the scathing reviews I was expecting an almost unwatchable film, and I won't tell you that this is a completely original film, or that you will ever believe that Malcovich could be from Jersey. True, the plot asks you to suspend reality for a bit, but Knockaround Guys is quite a tight little film. It is really nicely put together- excellent score/soundtrack, lots of great long tracking shots, some terrific editing techniques, etc.... A lot of love and attention seems to have been lavished on it. I was pleasnantly surprised by the excellent performances of the cast, especially the younger, and rather unknown, actors. Don't get me wrong, Hopper and Malcovich turned in fairly solid performances, but it was the up-and-comings that really made the film worth watching. Barry Pepper makes Matty a sympathetic and believable character. I really, really look forward to seeing him make a name for himself in the future- quite a talented young actor. Vin Diesel, unbelievably, shines in a haunting performance as Taylor- a role that could have easily been stereotypically cardboard was fraught with emotion. I'm no Diesel fan, but it's a shame that he doesn't appear in meatier roles- now that I know that he can actually act! Even little Seth Green manages to overlook the horrible dye job (as if we could ever believe that his hair was dark brown!) and carries off his usual goofball role with dignity and, dare I say it, grace. It's a shame that most critics couldn't look past the flaws to see the film's promise.
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