Rating: 
Summary: Achingly bad ¿ cliched, offensive, trite and dull
Review: Starts off bad and goes down hill from there. How could a film this blood soaked still be dull? Just watch it and see. Or better yet, don't. Even the charismatic Benicio can't save it. Convoluted plot twists abound but it all amounts to nothing more than a very poor crime noir in the wake of Tarantino. Watch "True Romance" or Roger Avary's terrific "Killing Zoe" instead. If I could give rated it a zero I would have.
Rating: 
Summary: After all....it isn't The Way of the Golfclub
Review: I confess. I like gunplay in movies done really well. I also like quirky characters, and nice & nasty little twists in story & dialogue. The Way of the Gun has all of the above, and that's why I like it. If you don't like that stuff, give it a pass. But, if you do, you will be treated to Mr. McQarries first directorial outing which has many of the same pleasures as his script for The Usual Suspects. Suspects was a better movie with a more richly developed plot and of course, more surprises, but it would hardly be fair to expect that clever a story again. Way of the Gun, nonetheless, has much of the same deadpan humor and characters with a twist to them. Benecio del Torres & Ryan Phillipe make Parker & Longbaugh (the real names of Butch Cassidy and Sundance if you didn't know) believable amoral low lifes trying to score big. There is nice interplay between James Caan (doing one of his better roles in years)as the Old Pro and Taye Diggs as the cool younger killer. The rest of the supporting cast is fine as well. McQarrie handles the violence and gunplay in very similar fashion as Bryan Singer did in Suspects....with stylish and offbeat twists. The major shootout at the end is a dandy of it's kind. I don't think Way of the Gun is great, but it is much better than just okay. So it's a 3 plus or a 4 minus. As I said at the outset, if it's your type of story...it is well done and worth a look.
Rating: 
Summary: Twisted and Cool
Review: This movie is great, original, twisted, and cool...Benecio Del Toro and Ryan Phillippe suprisingly work well together as big time crooks looking for the jackpot in crime in this movie It tends to slow down at times, since the story is somewhat unique. But the opening 5 minutes or so are twisted and set the tone for the rest of the movie. It has a very flashy and realistic "slow" car chase sequence and awesome gunplay scences. Truly a mans movie. The ending is what makes this movie great, 5 or 10 minutes of pure gunplay action, check it out you won't want to miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: The Way of Gunplay
Review: From The Monitor Imagine. The air smells tangy of gun smoke, your ears are sore from the raucous sounds of pistol fire, and you feel the weight of a sledgehammer pelt your chest as a .44 caliber slug punches you down. Wait. A new smell fills your nostrils, a smell you recognize. An oily, overtly buttery smell that can only be one thing: movie popcorn. You have been watching director/screenplay writer Christopher Mcquarrie's The Way of the Gun. Mcquarrie is also responsible for writing Usual Suspects, one of the most thickly plotted movies of recent history. The gunplay scenes are arguably the best of modern day. Often you have the case where a lone gunman dodges bullet after bullet, but always fells his opponents in one shot. Things are different in The Way of the Gun. The realism is as undeniable as gravity. You find yourself in the theater, heart accelerating as the intensity building until the final moment of truth... The Way of the Gun consists of a deranged plot in which two criminals Parker and Longbaugh-played by Ryan Phillippe (from Studio 54) and Benicio Del Toro respectively-decide to hijack a surrogate mother named Robin, played by Juliette Lewis, and hold her for ransom. Robin is carrying her baby for a wealthy family. This seems to be a marriage of necessity because for some reason or another the wealthy family cannot propagate and Robin is hard up for cash. James Caan, who plays Joe Sarno and Taye Diggs who plays Jeffers, are among the lot of people hunting down the mother-nappers for bounty. The plot, as the Chubby Checker song suggests, takes a twist as Robin decides she has something beautiful in her belly, a baby. Another element somewhat overshadowed by the peculiar plot
Rating:
Summary: Delivers with all guns blazing
Review: A pulp tale with loads of action. The story: Two hoods (Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Philippe) kidnap a young pregnant woman (Juliette Lewis) who carries the child of a mob-connected millionaire (Scott Wilson). Wilson's experienced enforcer (James Caan) and bodyguards have to handle the situation from then on. Lots of shoot-outs, double-crosses and small twists ensue. Great directorial debut by Christopher McQuarrie, the Oscar-winning screenwriter for 'The Usual Suspects'. He directs with attitude giving the movie a slight noirish atmosphere yet interrupting this with Hong-Kong movie style shoot-outs (the actors shoot whole clips at a go) in perfect harmony. He brings the best out of the actors, especially Del Toro and the always reliable Caan who gets some great lines from McQuarries's script. This movie is enamoured with the gun and eventually overkills because some characters get introduced just to be shot down with loads and loads of bullets in the climax which is reminiscent of Sam Peckinpah's classic 'The Wild Bunch' with undertones from 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. In fact Del Toro and Philippe's characters are named Parker and Longbaugh, the real surnames of Butch and Sundance. At two hours this movie is not overlong because there are many subplots and interesting supporting characters, actually too much. Anyway, the movie is entertaining and I will eagerly await McQuarrie's second feature.
Rating:
Summary: Astounding movie that everyone missed.
Review: It's these kinds of movies I live for. Christopher McQuarrie is a incredibly talented man and it shows. the Directing is a bit sloppy and sometimes bland, but it's his first attempt and I think he does a good job. The dialogue is witty, sharp, and powerful. So little is said, but so much is sent thru the screen. The performances are likewise incredible. Benicio Del Toro is GOD ALMIGHTY! He gives an Oscar-winning performance, but sadly I know he`ll be overlooked for this role. Ryan Phillipe does a wholly satisfying role. Juliette Lewis is alright, but forgettable. The scene-stealer has to either be between Abner's introduction or the slow-moving car chase. Funniest moment when Benicio slaps the whores ass. Great Movie. MUST BUY!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A bit slow, but a fun ride
Review: This one seemed rather funny to me, but I liked it a lot. The film has a few pacing problems and I am not quite sure why it is so disjointed but the opening sequence grabbed me hard and the ending kicks! I would recommend it for fans of Tarantino and for people who like action films with a twist. I sure had a great deal of fun with it and I even liked most of the cast!
Rating:
Summary: EXPLAIN
Review: The Way of the Gun, aside from being utterly boring, is a complete mess. I doubt I've ever seen a more convoluted mess than this, in fact. At first it looks like the movie is trying to be a comedy - and it succeeds VERY nicely for the first 20 minutes or so! But just when you're enjoying yourself it switches gears out of the blue like it can't make up its mind, so now you have this grim crime story that is as interesting as dirty dishwater. When the violence comes, it is over-the-top like all such movies, but UNLIKE all such movies, it adds nothing into the mix. Hm, honestly, everything about this movie is bad once the first 20 minutes go by.
Rating:
Summary: Try Not to Compare
Review: I gave this movie four stars because it was worth more than three. I'm not sure it was worth four. For one thing, if you buy this movie because you loved *The Usual Suspects*, you'll be a tad disappointed. *TUS* is a better movie. Sorry Chris. I know from listening to the commentary track on the DVD that this kind of criticism really steams McQuarrie, and that's understandable because the movie ought to be seen without those kind of expectations. But watching the movie twice helped me separate the two films and appreciate this one all the more. The movie just overflows with the talent and subtelty of its performers. Not just the actors. The score is fantastic. The lighting, photography and look of the movie is always interesting. And the set pieces are really well drawn. On the other hand, the screenplay lacks a center of gravity. The two main characters (played expertly by del Toro and Phillipe) keep you guessing, and, ultimately, leave you guessing. The supporting parts are more grounded, but there's still something missing. The 'revelation' at the end is not all that satisfying, although it does make sense of some of the clues that the movie dropped along the way. I would have been more surpised had I been more fully (un)prepared for it. The Juliette Lewis-character's motives, for instance, could have been made more clear, and ultimately a little more devestating. As it is, however, I was kind of left holding my ... er... remote. But it's still a helluva lot more interesting to give over an evening to watching this movie than the kind of drivel that apparently makes the Academy members wet their pants. (*Gladiator* for best picture??????) Bottom Line: I'm glad to own this film. It repays several viewings. Here's why: 1) The actors. Benicio del Toro is sublime. ("You don't want to be touched by guys like us. It's creepy.") Ryan Phillipe turns out a suprisingly subtle and thoughtful performance. (I say suprising because of his rep as a teen idol. But remember Johnny Depp?) Juliette Lewis can do anything. You will feel her pain. And her father, Jeffrey Lewis is, as always, much fun to watch. Ditto James Caan, and the guy who plays Dr. Alan Painter (sorry; can't remember his name). 2) It grows on you. Watch it twice right off the bat. Also, definitely listen to the commentary track. If you can get over the not too understated bitterness of the film-maker that this movie was a box-office flop, you'll still find much to learn about the collaborative process of making a film. You'll also get a sense of what the movie could have been had it not been RUTHLESSLY over-edited. (But don't get your hopes up about Baltimore. You'll have to figure that out yourself.)
Rating:
Summary: It helps to have a sense of humor.
Review: Ten years from now "Way of the Gun" will emerge as a cult favorite of cinemaphiles, but for now the many talented people who put this project together will have to suffer abuse from those who feel that "Armageddon" was a high-water mark in American film. "Way of the Gun" is not perfect, but it is pretty damn good. It dares to take the cliches of westerns and noir fiction and completely undermine them. Its "heroes" are revealed to be vicious thugs and the ending is happy only in the most black humored way. The direction steers away from the Michael Bay school of overamped cranes, dollies and quick cuts, opting for what looks a John Ford-inspired big canvas. This lets the action and the terrific actors assembled here really shine. The complaints about excessive violence are ludicrous. We live in an era when comedy films feature human entrails being ripped out of stomachs. A film like this reminds people that when you pull a trigger, the results can be very messy. (And by the way, if you know anything about weapons, you will enjoy this movie. The gun-handling is great and the sound design is terrific.) This is a brutal film, but it is also filled with mordant humor and even poetry. Check it out.
| 
