Rating: Summary: A more intense version of West Side Story Review: Scott Kalvert did an outstanding job directing this movie and making the time period as realistic as possible. The similarity between this and Westside Story is the gang rivalry. In Westside Story, you have The Jets vs. The Sharks and in this movie you have The Deuces vs. The Vipers. I didn't see all of Westside Story though but it seems like its less intense than this movie. This movie has some Rebel Without A Cause as well but I didn't see that movie either. I compare this movie to Rebel Without A Cause because of the gang element and Stephen Dorff is The Jimmy Dean of this movie. Stephen Dorff does a great job as 'Leon', the noble yet violent leader of The Deuces. Brad Renfro also does a great job as Leon's younger brother Bobby. He is easily influenced by his brother's hatred towards The Vipers and his life-style is even more chaotic when he meets 'Annie', who is played by Fairuza Balk. Drea DeMateo was so so as 'Betsy', Norman Reedus does a great job as 'Marco', and Matt Dillion does a great job as 'Fritzy'. Overall, its a powerful and intense movie and a must see for movie fans. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Rating: Summary: I'd rather stick a pen in my eye... Review: ...than be forced to watch this trite piece of garbage film again. Ok, let's get a bunch of not-so-talented actors, add a ton of people from 'The Sopranos', and put them all together and see what happens. Looks like Renfro's performance in 'Bully' was a fluke, because he is wooden here. Fairuza Balk always manages to ruin any picture she appears in. The only character with any talent is James Franco, whose screen time is severely limited here. The dialogue is a joke, the filming looks like a half-rate 'Bronx Tale', and all it is is basically a poor rendition of 'The Outsiders'. Nothing of value here, stay far away from.
Rating: Summary: It's all about the Neighborhood Review: An Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn in the late 1950's forms the setting for this tense drama. Leon's younger brother Allie dies from an overdose of heroin that he obtained from Marco and his gang. Marco goes to prison for his part in the death. Leon forms his own gang, The Deuces, to protect the neighborhood from all other street gangs, and to keep the junk out. As with all good tragedy, the story evolves relentlessly from these initial events. Marco is released from prison and he's back in business. His street gang is larger than The Deuces. Now the task of The Deuces becomes deadly serious. The first battle of this war is fought at night in the park with fists, baseball bats, knives and chains. The battle is bloody and violent, but nothing is decided. Another force is at work in the neighborhood. Compared to the professional criminals of organized crime, The Deuces and their rivals are kids playing gangster. Here is the real danger to the neighborhood against which The Deuces are completely out-matched. Leon is the leader that holds the Deuces together, the statesman that deals with outsiders and the general that plans the battles. He dimly sees the forces that are arrayed against him and The Deuces, but he can't see any path that doesn't lead to defeat. He waits for an advantage until his hand is forced by his passions and the challenges of the competition. What this movie gets right is the sense of time and place. Little touches ring true, such as how a gang member flicks his cigarette at his enemy and makes it as insulting as any curse. The fights are real and horrifying. This movie is a realistic antidote to the idiotic Happy Days, Fonzie image of a tough guy from the 1950's. The story has elements borrowed from dozens of sources...not much you haven't seen before. Echos of The Godfather and Goodfellows come through in this movie, but the writing isn't in the same league. Some of the dialogue is trite and the acting is uneven. Nevertheless, the forces at work in the neighborhood can suck you in, and drive the plot logically and inevitably to the end.
Rating: Summary: Not as good as other movies of this type Review: Deuces Wild is a fairly standard street gang movie, set in the early 1960's. While it isn't horrible, neither is it good or a movie I can overly recommend. Very standard plot stuff and two-dimentional characters. There's the local Catholic Priest who tries to get things settled without violence, there's the romantic attraction between a member of the DW gand and the sister of one of the Rival gang's leaders...yadda...yadda...yadda... There's also a lot of very strange casting choices. Somehow I'm not buying Matt Dillon as the local neighborhood mob boss since he looks barely older than one of the DW members. Then there's Frankie Muniz as a neighborhood kid and Deborah Harry as a nutcase mother of one of the gang members. There was decent action an a good, period soundtrack, however. If you really want a good gang movie set in NY at a similar time period, rent "The Wanderers". A far better movie.
Rating: Summary: the most underrated movie this year Review: Deuces Wild is about a gang war between the Deuces and the Vipers. Things get complicated when Fairuza Balk's character, the leader of an all-girl gang, falls in love with a member of a rival gang. My bet is on Deuces Wild for the most underrated movie The plot kept you interested These kind of street gang movies catches my attention but Deuces Wild it wasn't as good as (A Bronx Tale) or (Carlito's Way) but it was a movie worth seeing.
Rating: Summary: A reasonably good film! Review: Deuces Wild is quite an entertaining film. The plot is simple with two rival gangs at each others throats in Brooklyn. Though this film is not what you would call a masterpiece, it is enjoyable and dreamy Stephen Dorff is a pleasure to watch. He is the only reason why I would see this film over and over again. Fairuza fans will find this film enjoyable. Balk plays a significant role and her character is an important component to the film's plot. She does a good job and looks pretty as always with those stunning blue eyes. A surprisingly good film!
Rating: Summary: This is what happens when TV actors are off for the summer Review: Foot-weary from a street festival in New York City, my boyfriend and I decided to see the next thing that was playing at the local theater, Deuces Wild. The popcorn and cokes were really great, because we weren't that satisfied from the street vendor corn dogs and sno cones. We could have sat on a bench for a while and felt better. I don't know if I will be able to admit to my friends that I saw this movie. For now, my boyfriend and I are keeping the fact that we saw this as a deep, dark secret between us. Our only excuse is that we were in Mexico on vacation and, having just returned, didn't read any reviews on what I'm hoping will be the worst movie Raspberry winner of 2002. Even Battlefield Earth had a sort of Gwar-esque campy comedy about it with outfits that would have made even Kiss blush. Who's blushing at this movie? Probably everybody listed in the credits, which we stayed in the movie theater afterward to watch roll by in shock as we compiled our list of people to our "how could they have?" category. Y'know, sometimes at work or in my personal life, I'm to blame for letting things go without saying anything. But if you ever watch this movie, wait for the credits. What follows will be a list of people who should be, no doubt, hanging their heads lower than the rest of us these days. We tried to figure out who we thought was the worst at fault in this list, not wanting to rely solely on the shotgun approach to aftershock movie-bashing. I said that I blame the director, the screenwriters and the jack that came up with the unexplained movie title. Maybe I was grasping at my coke straws during the "film," but I at least wanted to know why Deuces Wild were wild deuces; I mean, they kept saying "Deuces Wild forever." (Please, no! Not forever!) I can't remember how to spell her name, so phonetically Farooza Balk looked like Wednesday from The Addams Family in a poodle skirt. Brad Renfro should call up his agent and go for Broadway because that's the kind of acting he gave for the camera; that jostly, jump, jive & wail overacting that usually plays out well when the audience is visiting the city for the first time from Chanute, Kansas (did I say that?). If you are unlucky enough to see this, don't exit the theater during the movie until you see the exploding car behind the guy that plays Marco. He turns to the camera like a soap opera actor with a cigarette nub and a squint and BOOM! a car blows up behind him. It's awesome. I'm glad the director chose one thing correctly: the car blows up AGAIN. Two times for the moviegoer, and Marco holds his squint. Now *that* is the mark of a professional. Bravo, Marco. Bravo. People of America: Brooklyn is not like this! But it is a lot of fun to say "Deuces *Wild*!!!" You really have to stress the wild and try to sound wild when you say it. Try to do it without laughing. Uno star for the double-exploding car and Farooza's rooftop breakdown.
Rating: Summary: A surprisingly entertaining movie Review: I basically went with a friend to see this movie because it stared Stephen Dorff and Brad Renfro. I had heard almost nothing but bad reviews about it and honestly wasn't expecting much at all. Needless to say, I was very pleasantly surprised. I thought the acting in it was nothing short of superb, Stephen Dorff in particular did an amazing job making this film come to life. I thought it was very well done, and very entertaining. It had a love story, it had action, it had drama, there is something in this film for everyone. I could be a bit biased, being such a big fan of both Stephen Dorff and Brad Renfro, but I really enjoyed this movie, and I'm very glad that I went to see it.
Rating: Summary: Don't Listen to the "Critics" Review: I found this to be an excellent movie. As soon as it ended, I rewound it and started watching it again. I am a big fan of the 1950's and I like the street gang lore, so perhaps I am a bit biased. If you're not a fan of the 50's and you're not interested in movies about street gangs, don't bother. Otherwise, purchase this video! You will definitely love it. The cast is wonderful and the scenery really takes you back in time. The soundtrack is great too, with goodies such as Dion and Ritchie Valens. What are you waiting for? Get this movie!
Rating: Summary: Deuces Wild Review: I give two thumbs up for Deuces Wild, it was a very good movie! I read all the reviews... and most, if not all, were not good. I knew then that it would be a good movie. Half of what the critics give a thumbs down on, ends up being a very good movie. I am a big fan of Brad Renfro and think he did a superb acting job!
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